How can parents support the development of mature play skills in playgroups?
Like many parents today you may feel that children no longer play the way you did when you were little. Many parents find that their children cannot occupy themselves for long periods without adult direction. In part, this is because parents no longer feel safe letting their child roam the neighborhood playing with other children. Instead, children spend more time in adult-directed age-segregated activities. In addition, children of younger and younger ages are spending more time in solitary activities such as playing computer games and watching television. Even the toys have changed! Many of today’s toys require absolutely no imagination. All the child has to do is push a button and the toy tells the child what to do. When the battery in the toy dies, so does the child’s interest in it.
To help provide children with play and social skills, many parents host playgroups or play dates. Playgroups can be an excellent way to foster mature play skills in young children. However, not all playgroups will support mature play without some adult planning.
Remember that the overall goal is to get children talking and pretending with each other, not with you. You want to see children taking on play roles and saying things like, “I’ll be the waiter, you be the chef. Please go make the pancakes for the customers now. They’re hungry.” It is even better if the children make the “pancakes” for themselves out of paper or some other found object in the toy box. Being able to pretend that one object can stand for another is an important mental skill for young children to acquire.
Here are a few ideas to help you get started playing the Tools of the Mind way.