It is actually really important to let your children play with an empty box. You know when you purchase a really expensive gift for your toddler, spend hours setting it up, and then they play with the box that it came in? Well, experts are suggesting getting children boxes as their gift. Instead of spending hundreds of dollars on toys, it is actually more exciting and beneficial for children.
The world is filled with toys that have been created to entertain your children. Toys use batteries, make loud noises, sing songs, and attempt to teach your toddlers the ABC's. Your toddler and young children might see the toys on the commercials and their toys are always exciting and loud. The creators of these toys don't actually care if children learn from them, or actually enjoy them, they want to make it look like the kids are going to have endless hours of fun. Which in fact, they will spend 10 minutes with and then they will get bored. Children don't actually enjoy the loud toys because they are not intellectually challenged and they don't use their imaginations. Children should be using their creativity to figure out how to play with a toy instead of the toy telling them how to play with it. According to Very Well Family, "Toys are meant to be tools, not entertainment centers. Instead of buying your kids flashy plastic junk, look for toys that encourage creative thinking, teamwork, and imaginative play."
Parents should be avoiding the big fancy exciting toys and lean towards toys that spark imagination and creativity. Very Well Family said, "Bricks, blocks and other building toys are excellent creative fodder for growing minds, and games are perfect for teaching children teamwork and good sportsmanship. Role-playing toys, such as costumes and dollhouses, fire up the imagination, and help children to enhance their social and emotional skills." One of the best toys that you can get your children is a box. That's right, an empty cardboard box is perfect for your little one. Pediatricians are actually suggesting parents to switch from their modern toys back to their old fashion toys. A cardboard box "can be used to draw on, or made into a house, "said Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP report warns "expensive electronic devices are worse for children because they can become addictive, slow down speech development, and lead to obesity. Many parents feel pressured to buy tablets and hi-tech games which are marketed as educational or mentally stimulating" Dr. Mendelsohn said.
According to Elf for Christmas, "Creative play involves any object that sparks the imagination and promotes creative expression. In its most effective form it is self-initiated and self-directed, i.e. the child decides what they’ll play with and how they’ll play with it." They continue, "This enables children to choose and develop their own rules of play, without having to depend on the criticism and evaluation of their parent. This doesn’t mean you can’t be involved in your child’s creative play though – just that they themselves should be leading it!"
The best thing about creating with a cardboard box is the fact that there is no one right way to play. Don't tell your child what to do with the box, just hand them the box and let their imaginations go. You will be so surprised by how impressive their imaginations are when you don't interrupt them. You can assist their imaginations by giving them glue, or providing markers. They can turn their box into anything that they want at any time that they want. Don't interject and don't give them ideas. Toddlers should be able to explore the way that they want with their creative play.
Benefits of Playing With An Empty Box
Emotional/ Social Development: When toddlers are learning how to talk they can't fully explain what they are going through and their feelings. You need to give them opportunities to express themselves without having to verbally express. Giving them a creative outlet can be extremely beneficial whenever they are feeling overwhelmed. In time, "children will learn how to express their feelings safely and creatively, allowing them to integrate into social settings and regulate their behavior more appropriately." Virtual Lab School said, "Children who are emotionally healthy are better able to establish and maintain positive relationships with adults as well as with peers. Social-emotional development is essential to a young child’s sense of well-being." They continue, "Their first relationships help shape who they are, who they become, and their understanding of the world. The important people in young children’s lives help lay the foundation for a range of social-emotional skills." Children who are more actively using their imaginations are actually less likely to have behavioral problems.
Intellectual/Cognitive Development: Cognitive development goes way beyond just learning more information, it is all about processing information and then speaking about it. As your toddler matures, "They can process information more skillfully and make connections to other information more easily. In other words, their thinking skills get progressively better." As they get older and they continually develop their cognitive skills they will be able to focus more, process more intellectual material and fully explain their thought process.
Physical Development: With all of the current technology, toddlers are losing out on physical development by spending too much time being idle. They are sitting for too long and obese rates for toddlers are getting higher. Toddlers should be given ample opportunities to be active and to develop physically. When children create they will likely be moving around and creating with their bodies. Encourage this behavior and allow them to be active. The Little Gym says, "creative play helps to grow gross and fine motor skills, coordination, and control. Building fine motor skills requires practice and sets the stage for improving hand eye coordination and muscle memory."
Why don't you just head out right now and get your toddler an empty box, or save boxes whenever you do get a product in a box. You might immediately consider recycling it because you don't want it to get in your way but consider keeping it and encouraging your children to explore and get creative.
Sources: Very Well Family, Daily Mail, Elf for Christmas, The Little Gym, Virtual Lab School, NPR