Our Bluey is very meticulous when examining a new toy for the first time. Recently, he got a box of Builderific. He carefully examined the pictures on the box before opening it. And once opened, he explored any instructions that indicated the various designs to be created.
And then Bluey got stressed out that he couldn’t recreate the designs shown on the instructions or the box. We want to encourage him to find his own way to enjoy his toys!
So we’ve invented some terminology to ease the stress that toy instructions create for our Bluey.
Rather than refer to these inserts as instructions, we call them SUGGESTIONS. Why should some corporate writer dictate how your child plays with a toy? Yes, some games will work better by design if you follow the enclosed instructions. But those toys could also be a great source of creative play if you allow your child to explore it in the way that they’re naturally inclined. Your child may even find a new and better way to use a toy that wasn’t anticipated by its designer.
Isn’t the whole point of playing with something like Builderific or Duplos (or any toy/game!) to enable your child’s creativity? Why stick to instructions on how to make specific structures and stifle your kid’s innate desires to explore? Let your child’s imagination take over!
We can always return to the instructions but we certainly don’t allow them to limit our play.