Significance of Creative Play in the Digital Age

August 20, 2019 / Parent Resources

In the digital age, there is a device and application for every task you can think of. Navigating to a friend’s house? Use the GPS on your smartphone. Need to remember your cousin’s birthday? Use a voice assistant! While this frees up time to take on more critical tasks, we might be letting our cognitive capacity stagnate along with our working memory. The use of logic, memory, basic reasoning and creativity would take a backseat to proficiency in online applications and tools.  

Need for Creative Play in Preschoolers

It makes sense to be technology literate in the current day to stay on top of things. It is even better when the technology that you use also enhances your essential thinking skills such as reasoning and creativity. This is especially true when it comes to online learning games for your preschool children. Most online learning activities miss out on the aspect of creativity and creative play. Creative play involves the use of imaginative thinking in gameplay. It could be drawing, role-play or even playing dress-up. It fuels children’s imagination by letting them come up with diverse ways to approach situations or problems.

Benefits of Creative Play for Preschoolers

Creative play has essential benefits that are vital to children’s development. With the right educational games for kids, you can ensure your preschool children engage in creative play. Here are a few benefits of creative play for your preschool children and interactive games that encourage creative play:

1. Problem-Solving

Creative play brings out problem-solving skills that allow children to look at a problem from different perspectives. Logical reasoning and critical thinking are essential components of problem-solving which are enhanced by creative play.

Osmo Little Genius Stories game in Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit takes children through amazing adventures as a character of their choice. Children have to use logical and abstract reasoning in real time to solve problems using physical game pieces They go on fantastical fairytale-like quests and navigate obstacles in their way, using the right tools and costumes. They may have to use spring laden boots to jump over a chasm of mud, or parachute down a hill using a skirt! 

2. Empathy

When children play dress-up, they learn to see the world through another person’s eyes. They might treat an ailing patient as a doctor or put out a raging fire as a firefighter. This helps in building empathy in children.

Osmo Little Genius Costume Party game in Osmo Little Genius Starter Kit let children dress up an online character using physical game pieces. The digital media provides amazing visuals and interactive responses and the offline game pieces provide essential hands-on play. Children can even colour the character in any shade they choose on screen, learning colour coordination. This game lets children be creative and have loads of fun without too many constraints.

3. Fine Motor Skills

Creative activities such as drawing help children hone their fine motor skills. When children take up drawing, they learn how to hold a pencil or pen to draw what they’re thinking of.

Osmo Genius Masterpiece game lets children trace a virtual outline of an object or image onto a piece of paper. Children build confidence in their drawing skills, while sketching outlines of fun images. They can also strengthen their fine motor skills with this  game.

Creative play is an important part of children’s development. Parents should encourage creative play in their preschool children to ensure their children develop intellectually as well as physically to emerge as well-rounded individuals.