Our Bluey recently inherited his sister’s 12” Barbie-scaled house. His first idea was that this would be the home for his 1” tall Garfield figure. Garfield became a policeman who drives a car designed for a Zhu-zhu pet. His neighbor is a Beanie-baby dinosaur.
Sounds normal enough, right?
Rather than swing in, and try to steer him towards using the toys as they were ‘meant to be used,’ we let him explore and create his own pathways of play. There is nothing more amazing (or amusing) then witnessing a child’s imagination explode.
We try not to get locked into the idea that there are certain times of day for your child to ‘be creative.” Creative play is important for your child’s brain development and social skills. Creativity is always permitted and encouraged whether during a home school lesson or at a specific arts&crafts activity.
And we definitely don’t steer our kids away from toys that aren’t marketed specifically to their gender. If Bluey wants a Barbie, great! If Plum wants a matchbox, excellent! If you allow your child the freedom to safely explore you are supporting their creativity.
So when your kid wants to play baseball with a Frisbee, or have Barbie drive a matchbox, don’t interrupt, just let the play go on!