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The early years of a child’s development are the ideal time to encourage play and creativity, so building a play den is the perfect way to enhance your child’s play time.
Here are four ways to create the perfect play den for your children, no matter what their age.
- Get Creative with Colour
Particularly in their younger years, children are incredibly receptive to colour, and exposing them to bright shades can help them develop colour knowledge faster and earlier.
To enable children to develop their colour knowledge, you can get creative with the colour placement in the play den. For example, you could encourage your children to handprint the walls with different colours, and then write the names of the colours next to each one.
Alternatively, use colourful posters or playmats to reinforce recognition and knowledge.
- Use Mirrors
Mirrors are an excellent way to encourage development in young children by encouraging self recognition and language skills. Many school-age children may also enjoy using mirrors for playing dress- up games, applying make-up, or learning about symmetry.
Companies like Halifax Glass can supply you with mirrored safety glass, cut to suit your needs. To ensure maximum safety around children, you might want to frame your mirrors with smooth plastic corners to prevent accidents. Alternatively, you can place them out of a child’s reach, for example, on a ceiling.
- Make Your Play Den Inclusive
For neurodivergent children, or children who struggle with sensory issues, certain textures and noises may be difficult to process.
Researching the textures that your child finds pleasing may help with their development, but also create a safe space away from the harsher realities of the outside world.
Investing in soft plush animals, bean bags, and calming playlists can help to keep a child calm and relaxed at home.
You may also want to use tools like weighted blankets. These are often a good way to create a safe and secure environment for a child, and have been proven to ease anxiety and calm the nervous system.
- Inspire Responsibility
Creating a play den is great for encouraging a child’s creativity and imaginative ability, but it’s also great for inspiring independence and responsibility for keeping it tidy.
Most children hate tidying up, but encouraging tidying with a star chart can motivate them to take responsibility for the care of their toys, and to take pride in their environment.
You can find star chart templates from websites like Twinkl, with fun designs to suit every child. When your child completes a star chart, you can reward them with a prize for their good behaviour. This could be something as small as a sweet treat, or something as big as a weekend day trip!
Do you have any tips for creating a fun and creative play den for your children? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!