Does Play Doh Count?

In case you missed the recent segment on NPR discussing the value of ordinary play, here is the link.

Go and read it. I'll wait.

So what do you think? I found it interesting....very interesting. I can't help but wonder though, what about the toys we own and encourage our children to use? Are they all bad?

I completely agree with the argument against over-scheduling. Kids who are in organized activities for the entirety of their day forget how to entertain themselves. After all, since there is always a scheduled event or upcoming activity, why should a child find a way to keep themselves occupied when a counselor/karate instructor/coach will just direct each part of the day.

Obviously, I'm not saying there shouldn't be any enrichment activities (my boys have been involved in several different ones), just not every day, every school vacation and the entirety of the summer. We have a motto around here and it is "free-range boys".

But the NPR piece seems to imply that playing Star Wars with a Light Saber is somehow less creative and "free range" than play from 100 years ago where being a Pirate meant using a stick for a sword. And that is the point I want to disagree with.

Yes, having a store-bought toy may be more "limiting" in ideas, but many toys are springboards to other ideas; kids will only stick with a scripted use for a toy for so long. Witness the Ninja Turtles that ride in the Little People Bus and the jogging trampoline that is a race track for cars. Using play doh to make pizzas instead of homemade dough is creative and stretches the imagination and the norms for toys. We have enough guilt as parents, I don't think we need the added guilt of worrying about stunting creativity because we allow action figures in our home.

In the end, I think there is 100% no- doubt-about-it that over scheduling affects free play, concentration and imagination. I disagree with the idea that toys contribute to this. Toys can be a creative force, as long as our kids have the free time to use them.

h/t Melissa Wiley