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Daycare Center and Family Home Forum>Imaginative Play and Broken Toys
Unregistered 07:25 AM 01-02-2015
Just curious if anyone has a solution for this. First of all, I love seeing children engage in imaginative play. I think it's a vital element missing from play time in this generation. However, I have a family whose children are only here part time; typically a couple days each month. Almost every single day that they are here something gets broken. It's not usually something expensive, but its frustrating none the less. Every thing becomes a play gun or sword regardless of how many toys I take away and how many times I say we're not play fighting. The race car track becomes a rope to rescue each other which ends with the track getting broken. And on it goes. When I tell them to choose an activity to sit down and play with they look at me like I'm crazy. I make suggestions: potato heads, blocks, trains, dinosaurs. I feel like you can do a lot of imaginative play with those, but they're not interested. I'm just not sure what to do. I give them dress up clothes to pretend with but that leads us back to running around in character and acting crazy. And they're not here enough to get into a good routine. Ugh.
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nannyde 07:47 AM 01-02-2015
They are doing the most fun for the least amount of work. That's "let's go nuts" play which isn't really play. They want excitement not the work of imaginative play.

I would ask mom what their tablet screen life is. If they are doing just screen and tear through the house they have zero experience playing.

So start them out playing as if they are infants. Give them unbreakable infant toys and blocks. Small up their area and give them only toys they can't abuse. If they throw them and stand on them then give them only cloth.

Make them earn the next level of toys by playing properly with what you give them. Separate them ALL day long and watch them like a hawk.
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Blackcat31 07:55 AM 01-02-2015
Originally Posted by nannyde:
They are doing the most fun for the least amount of work. That's "let's go nuts" play which isn't really play. They want excitement not the work of imaginative play.

I would ask mom what their tablet screen life is. If they are doing just screen and tear through the house they have zero experience playing.

So start them out playing as if they are infants. Give them unbreakable infant toys and blocks. Small up their area and give them only toys they can't abuse. If they throw them and stand on them then give them only cloth.

Make them earn the next level of toys by playing properly with what you give them. Separate them ALL day long and watch them like a hawk.
https://www.daycare.com/nannyde/ther...th-any-toy.htm
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finsup 08:28 AM 01-02-2015
Have you tried sitting down with them and playing? Model what you want to see, ask lots of questions. They may have very little experience with that type of play so could be clueless as to how to really do it. Lots of outdoor time too, any chance to run/jump/large motor stuff in general. Typically the more active play that goes on outside, the calmer the play indoors! At least, that's how it works with my group!
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Unregistered 09:59 AM 01-02-2015
I have tried modeling repeatedly. As long as I'm sitting with them directing play they do fairly well, but literally within about 30 seconds of me getting up or directing attention to another child all chaos ensues again. I loved that article by nannyde. I think my biggest problem is worrying about stifling their creativity by saying no. I think the car track is a perfect example of why I struggle. I don't want to tell them it has to be a car track if they're imagining it being something else like a rope, but if they are using it inappropriately in a way that hurts another child or breaks off pieces of the track then I have every right to say no. Thank you for that!
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Unregistered 10:01 AM 01-02-2015
Unfortunately, its been staying around 19 degrees F here lately so outside play isn't an option right now. They definitely do better in summer.
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AuntTami 10:04 AM 01-02-2015
I'm going to hijack here for a minute. I just read Nan's blog and got to the part of "no roaring" or making monster noises. Can I ask why? Is it a power thing? I wonder because my group and I often "roar" at each other at certain times. One will be being silly and I'll "roar" and say "teetee's gonna get you" and they laugh and giggle and try to escape the "monster" and the cycle repeats with them being the "monster"? Is this a terrible game to play with my 18month olds?
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Unregistered 10:35 AM 01-02-2015
Not to derail this, but NO is your friend. Say it exactly like that; NO. A lot of children are over indulged now a days and don't hear from their families, because mommy and daddy work and want it to be super fun circus time when they're with them. We have to be the BOOM and say NO. Those children are in for a big surprise when they become adults and the world has no problem saying NO when we coddle them.
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Unregistered 11:31 AM 01-02-2015
I'm thinking the way I've seen "roaring" in my group its usually an intimidation thing. If you're playing with them & you're pretending to roar at each other & everyone is having fun then I don't see anything wrong with it, but my kiddos roar at each other to intimidate the other one & it leads to one child dominating while the others cry and ask to be left alone. I'm guessing that's what nannyde is avoiding.
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Controlled Chaos 11:32 AM 01-02-2015
Originally Posted by AuntTami:
I'm going to hijack here for a minute. I just read Nan's blog and got to the part of "no roaring" or making monster noises. Can I ask why? Is it a power thing? I wonder because my group and I often "roar" at each other at certain times. One will be being silly and I'll "roar" and say "teetee's gonna get you" and they laugh and giggle and try to escape the "monster" and the cycle repeats with them being the "monster"? Is this a terrible game to play with my 18month olds?
We do the same here. We play monsters or animals and make the noises. The kids love it. BUT we are clear when the noise is part of the game and when it is just screaming. I am big on indoor voices and the kids seem to do well when we are clear when the noise is part of the game and when it is out of control. If the roaring, barking etc get too loud or crazy, I just transition them to a new activity.

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preschoolteacher 12:29 PM 01-02-2015
Originally Posted by Unregistered:
I think my biggest problem is worrying about stifling their creativity by saying no. I think the car track is a perfect example of why I struggle. I don't want to tell them it has to be a car track if they're imagining it being something else like a rope, but if they are using it inappropriately in a way that hurts another child or breaks off pieces of the track then I have every right to say no. Thank you for that!
You're not stifling creativity by saying no in this situation, you are teaching kids to be responsible. Plus, they'll get to use their creativity a lot more by figuring out how to continue their game without damaging toys!
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Kabob 12:37 PM 01-02-2015
Originally Posted by AuntTami:
I'm going to hijack here for a minute. I just read Nan's blog and got to the part of "no roaring" or making monster noises. Can I ask why? Is it a power thing? I wonder because my group and I often "roar" at each other at certain times. One will be being silly and I'll "roar" and say "teetee's gonna get you" and they laugh and giggle and try to escape the "monster" and the cycle repeats with them being the "monster"? Is this a terrible game to play with my 18month olds?
I don't know nannyde's reasoning but around here, roaring leads to running away which leads to chasing which leads to pushing, falling, and crying. It just escalates too quickly so it isn't allowed around here. I don't allow running indoors because it is so easy for the kiddos to hurt each other and themselves. Even outdoors I have a child that manages to run full speed right into others and toys and hurt herself...just no self control...

As for the play issue...as a new mom, I read parenting books and articles that suggested saying "no" should only be for serious offenses so they would listen when it was life or death. I quickly learned that this idea doesn't work in the real world. I say no to lots of things now and they listen just fine and aren't upset or unable to find something else to do. Tone and eye contact are also my friends. I also have discovered that once children have learned the expectations then they rarely require reminding about the basic rules for safe playing. What OP described isn't imaginative play...it's destructive play. It's not safe so they need to hear a no.
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KiddieCahoots 03:53 PM 01-02-2015
Two more books to add to the must read list......
Generation Me & The Narcissist Epidemic......
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