| Children love to be alone because alone is where | | | | their arms and legs, the imagination needs to be |
| they know themselves, and where they dream." | | | | exercised. |
| -Roger Rosenblatt, The Man in the Water, | | | | Provide lots of safe supplies. Think of storybooks, |
| 1994Allowing a child's imagination to blossom is as | | | | finger paints, and miniature tea sets as the tools of |
| simple as letting them express themselves through | | | | the trade. |
| good old-fashioned play. Whether it's learning to | | | | Let your child make the decisions. This is not the |
| problem solve by "selling groceries," demonstrating | | | | time to teach them about the "grown-up way" of |
| self-expression while pouring tea for their favorite | | | | doing things. Let their imaginations soar! |
| dolls, or concentrating on sliding down the pole of | | | | Have realistic expectations. Don't force your children |
| their firehouse, young minds need frequent | | | | when or how to be creative. Part of the learning |
| opportunities to freely express themselves."All | | | | process is in letting them find their own way. |
| children can and should learn how to tap into their | | | | Participate in creative play. Studies have found that |
| own creativity," says Torie Seeger, a senior program | | | | children whose parents participate in creative play |
| specialist at the Early Childhood Education and Training | | | | with them develop broader vocabularies and more |
| Program of the State University of New York at | | | | flexible thinking skills, says Judy Lyden, director of the |
| Albany. "Some of them simply need more | | | | Garden School in Evansville, Indiana. |
| opportunities and more guidance than others."Lilliput | | | | Children learn to respond, explore, communicate their |
| Play Homes of Finleyville, PA, is leading the industry in | | | | ideas, and use their imagination when they have |
| offering distinctive children's play homes. In addition | | | | sufficient time to explore and research their ideas, |
| to offering eleven standard models ranging from the | | | | states the Curriculum Guidance for The Foundation |
| spacious Cotton Candy Manor to the rugged Olde | | | | Stage, published in May, 2000. Whether it is "selling |
| Firehouse, Lilliput Play Homes also offers custom play | | | | groceries" in their Neighborhood Market, holding a club |
| structures. Whether it's a making fantasy structures | | | | meeting in their Lil Raskal's Lookout, or merely |
| based on a child's dream or recreating the family's | | | | finger-painting a picture to hang on the refrigerator, it |
| home in miniature, founder and president Stephen K. | | | | is vital to nurture a child's creativity and innate |
| Chernicky has designed and constructed it. Popular | | | | curiosity by providing the tools necessary for |
| standard models include the Princess Cottage, | | | | emotional and mental growth.So the next time your |
| featuring a loft, skylight, stenciling, and hardwood | | | | son or daughter invites you into their playhouse to |
| floors, and the Neighborhood Market, whose | | | | see their latest artistic creation, asks you to help |
| checkout counter, shelves, and display case are | | | | them play dress-up, or wants to sell you some |
| destined to bring out the creativity in children of all | | | | produce, smile and remember what Anatole France |
| ages.Creative play provides a rich learning | | | | said, "The whole art of teaching is only the art of |
| environment where children should be encouraged to | | | | awakening the natural curiosity of young minds for |
| think and create on their own. To provide children the | | | | the purpose of satisfying it afterwards."Lilliput Play |
| best opportunities for creative development, parents | | | | Homes offers luxury wooden playhouses, luxury dog |
| should: | | | | houses and wooden play furniture. |
| Encourage active playtime. Just like the muscles in | | | | |