Do you know the benefits of open-ended toys and why children love them? If you’re new to the Montessori philosophy and the benefits of open-ended play, keep reading to learn more.
What are open-ended toys?
Open-ended toys are ones with no definitive ending point. What this means is that there are endless ways to interact and play. Children can test ideas and keep trying until they discover solutions that work best.
Take wooden blocks, for example, the options are endless! The child can build a tower as tall as himself or line them up side by side (a favorite in my home) to create a “train” as long as possible. This encourages creativity, concentration, focus and problem-solving.
Playing should never feel like a test. The child will learn, but it doesn’t need to be a test.
Open-ended toys allow the child to experiment, explore, play freely and self-regulate. This is soooooo huge, mamas and papas! Children shouldn’t have to worry about getting anything right; they should be allowed to imagine and create. Open-ended toys can be used in a variety of ways.
How the fear of failure affects learning
Children also want to impress us and when they’re unsure of the answer, they give up or if they try and get it wrong, it can affect their self-esteem and perhaps even their will to try again. This is awful for adults, imagine what it does to the brains and hearts of our little ones.
The child should have activities that are neither too easy (boring) or too difficult (you want to give up) but challenging enough to master. Keep an eye on activities that your child spends more time with and replace the ones she’s outgrown.
Do open-ended toys need to be made from wood?
Open-ended toys need not be made from wood. This is a misconception that a lot of new Montessori parents have. Think of Legos and the many different ways a child can interact with such a toy. How about play dough or animal figurines?
The goal is for the child to be given the freedom to explore and discover new miracles in their environment. So what are some of your favorite open-ended toys?
