Ideas for imaginative play
I am always on the lookout for toys that will inspire open-ended and imaginative play. With a large age gap between my 9 year old and 3 year old, I have had to be pretty creative when choosing toys that they will enjoy playing with together.
There are a few toys that have proved very versatile, have consistently been played with and are enjoyed by both my kids, so are ideal for a range of ages and will grow with your kids.
Giant Wooden Blocks
I couldn’t find the set we bought but this over-sized hollow wooden block set is very similar. They can be used for assault courses, dens, large-scale building, car race tracks and on and on. There are so many imaginative uses for them.
This Haba wooden block set is smaller but I really like the look of the different shaped pieces and I’m wondering if we have room for yet another set of wooden blocks.
The Nüdel Pod
We bought a Nüdel Pod as a Christmas present for my son last year, but it has proved popular with both kids. They’ve enjoyed building different designs and it has inspired many imaginative games. The favourites that are built again and again are the rocking horse and the belly board. It isn’t cheap and you need to order well in advance, but it has longevity and versatility. We love it!
Magna-Tiles
Magna-Tiles are a brilliant toy to have around. We’ve used them to build tall towers (which my son loves to crash down), castles, towns, race tracks, zoos… the list goes on. We have a 100-piece set and a small travel set. I would suggest every family with young kids have at least one set of these, they are so good and it’s amazing to see what little minds can dream up to make.
Play Dough
This is an obvious one but it deserves a mention when talking about open-ended play because it can be used to create so much. We often make our own little play dough monsters, adding craft materials like googly eyes, pipe cleaners, foam pieces and feathers.
I prefer Ikea’s version, Måla Modelling Clay, as it has a less sticky texture.
Lego and Duplo
Another standard item but one that I wanted to include because it’s something the whole family enjoy playing with. My daughter loved lego and, now, all the sets we bought for her are being brought back to life with my son. We haven’t kept the sets well organised (which, in hindsight, I wish we had) but it hasn’t mattered as we’ve used bits from multiple sets to build all sorts of things. And everyone gets involved!
I personally like the Friends and City sets because they have more longevity than, for example, Disney sets that kids initially love, but then move on from.
Well, that’s it for now, but, ahead of December (when we have both kids’ birthdays as well as Christmas, arghhh!) I shall be hunting for more open-ended toys and will share the ones that work out.
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