Playing again!!

Imaginative Play is something I cherish in our children. The ability to create whole new worlds or experiences from the environment around them is a skill I admire in our small children especially.
It is interesting to see the changes that they make as they grow and mature, the imaginative play does not disappear, well at least not in our children, but changes to a different aspect.
How easily they seem to do this and how hard it is for so many of us adults.

Even playing with our children as an adult is different to how I see even the older children playing with the younger children. I think I still play as an adult with an adults point of view, even though I try to 'see' at with a child's view, where as the children still seem to be able to connect on a more child like level and manner.

It does not seem to matter to the children, but I do see the difference and wonder at my lack of ability to play in this childlike manner.
Is it just because I am an adult or is it the result of the lack of imaginative play in my own childhood as compared to our children's? It is a thought I ponder as I look for ways to encourage our children to be imaginative and creative with their time.
I do think being at home and being able to create within a more flexible structure and not be influenced by 'school time structure' allows our children the freedom to remain childlike for a longer period of time.

And in my opinion this is an advantage! Our children will soon enough grow to see the world without the wonder of a child, why would we want them to lose that wonder sooner than necessary.

So while we encourage our children to be responsible and helpful in the way they conduct themselves in our family...to allow our family to function at it's best. I do think that within this family structure the ability to play and be a child, to use the imagination and create with child-like wisdom is to be encouraged for the full development of our children.

Do you have any thoughts on this?

Blessings to you and your homes,