Play is such an important part of a preschooler’s development. Play offers children the opportunity to be in control of and at the center of their experiences. While engaged in play, children develop critical skills that they will use throughout their life. This includes creative thinking skills as well as social and cognitive skills. Being an open-ended tool, CONNETIX tiles offer children the opportunity to engage in continuous play over and over again, allowing preschoolers to have fun while developing these valuable life skills.
What are the Benefits of Open-Ended Toys in Unstructured Play?
Creative Thinking is a Vital Skill
Often, creativity is associated with art-based subjects such as visual arts and painting, role plays and drama, learning to play and create music, singing and making a physical final product. However, creativity can be displayed in so many other areas of life, including within different academic subjects. For example, someone might be creative in the way they solve a math problem or in the meals they create. Although there is always a final product, creativity truly focuses on the process. From starting a project to its culmination, an individual explores concepts imaginatively, integrates their own individuality and flair into their project, and experiments with their design by analysing themselves. Preschoolers begin to develop their own sense of creativity when they engage in play. They generate and freely experiment with innovative ideas, go with the flow of their storyline and aren’t doubtful of their decisions. This is why unstructured play is so important during the formative years. They are able to use their creative abilities and apply them to a range of other experiences in life, without hesitation or fear. This skill is important to carry into adulthood as it allows individuals to stand out and think outside the box.
