Have children lost the ability to play imaginitively?

Mine play, and play and play, making up games that evolve into complex stories. But they also welcome down time with Tv and computers, and books. It's all a question of balance, enough freedom to rush round creating their own worlds, and enough security to stop and be absorbed into worlds other than the ones they have been creating.

(And, with DGD3, to turn cartwheels whatever you are doing!)

Mishap

The world is very different now to when my daughters grew up and myself.
Yes I felt it was good to take my granddaughters on a simple picnic a while ago along with the 3 dogs.
Even that was different from years ago when my grandmother had a flask and a picnic basket.
We made some salad and some sand wages and put them in an ice bag and put some cakes in a carrier bag.
I also got a few bits like crisps and small pork pies.
I don't feel like paying for a picnic basket or some flasks as I don't think they will be used enough to justify the expenditure as myself and the other grandparents usually take the family for a meal when we go out for the day and we buy a tea or coffee.
I think we have more money than what our grandparents had.
My granddaughters love playing with the dogs.

Frank

Oh , go on Frank , splash the cash & buy a picnic basket and flasks they will go a real treat with the sand wages .

You know you can afford it , give the money to them now , rather than later, You will feel a whole lot better .

My DGD (age 2) was heard to try to tell her Lego rocket to drink her ice cream (Lego cube) and that it was a good girl.!
Later her hand became a rocket! Zoom----------

They are certainly born with this ability and seem to retain it for a few years, but once they get to about 5 they seem to need to be entertained in some way. I am at a loss as to how to counter this when they come to me as they whatever I do, they try and negotiate for TV or computer time and cannot settle to anything until they know when this is going to be allowed.

I used to poke my children out of the door and leave them to create their own worlds/chaos. They certainly enjoyed themselves!

I have looked after my 2 grandaughters ever since they were babie, while my daughter worked but its just the last couple of years that they want the T.V, or the computer games instead of constructive play.Now they are 12 and 14, they have changed.I have to be very firm and limit the times or they would become Zombie-like! Then, they will go up to their rooms and play music through their headphones.Grandma is left on sentry duty.
Sometimes, though, the older girl will draw for a couple of hours, and the younger one likes to do some origami.
I find myself longing for the days when they delighted me with their enthusiasm to do wahtever grandma suggested.Shame they have to grow up......

Did anyone read an interesting article in the Weekend section of yesterday's "Telegraph". It was about a woman, her DH and two of her children going to live in Germany for a month to live like the average German family - fascinating. (There is a programme on BBC2 on Tuesday night if anyone is interested). What particularly struck me was the "Forest Schools" which her DD attended; it sounded wonderful. We need something similar in this country - children playing in the woods, climbing trees, making campfires etc., encourages confidence and independence in them.

My DGS, aged 2.6, is very imaginative already - we frequently have to put out a fire on grandad - this involves going to the fire station, driving the fire engine and then swooshing him with the hose. All great fun.

GillieB we DO have Forest Schools in this country.
My own children had no TV in their formative years and instead learned to play co-operatively and to foster their creativity. Both sons play musical instruments and the children (now adults of course) all have hobbies (pottery, knitting, baking, interior design) and enjoy various sports (kayaking, cycling, sailing, windsurfing). My children all took advantage of local forests and outdoor play spaces and built dens etc. Sadly it's true that nowadays children miss out on a lot of opportunities for imaginative play, but I still believe that children want to play in this way.

My GS aged six and a half spent a lot of this afternoon cooking me a meal on the toy barbecue I bought him when he was about three. We had to catch the fish first and then have lots of discussion about how long to cook them. Classic FM was on in the background and he surprised me by talking about some of the music he recognised and dancing about to show me how it made him feel.

I bought a selection of second-hand toys from charity shops before coming to New Zealand. The dolls' house was, as I expected, a fabulous success. The five- and six-year old spend endless amounts of time rearranging the furniture and making up/acting out stories about the family who lives there. Similarly, the dolls' tea sets* have sparked all sorts of ideas, from serving us in a fish restaurant – although, frankly, I think the plates are far too small for a whole lobster – to having tea with the queen to celebrate the birth of her new great grandson.

* Both dating from the 1950s and both made of china. They are handled with extreme care as they were when they belonged to my sister and me.

NZ freeview television is very limited but we can't be bothered with Sky (quite apart from my feelings about Richard Murdoch). Consequently, it is very rare for any of the children to watch anything on television when they are with us – a minimum of four afternoons a week after school. Occasionally, the one-year-old watches Barney because he loves the songs and joins in the dancing. They don't seem to miss it.

My local Primary School in North Yorkshire has a Forest School session. I have little idea of what they do except that they often come back muddy and with smiles.

I think, certainly at a young age, how children play is influenced by how their parents live. If children live in a home with lots of TVs, computers etc with parents that are themselves always watching screens, playing computer games, surfing the net etc then the children will do the same. Put a child in a home where the TV and computer are seen as useful tools for living, like the car, but not much used by the parents who prefer books, music or some other activity and/or enjoy outdoor pursuits, whether it is following a sport or other planned activity or just walking and wildlife then the children will usually acquire similar pleasures. and play.

Most children who spend all their time in front of screens, often alone in their bedrooms, and rarely go out are just reflecting the lifestyles of their parents. The answer, and the blame, lies with the parents.

How I wish our local comprehensive school had not insisted the pupils all use Ipads. Not only do the youngsters play games through them but they talk to each other that way as well. After school there is no need to meet up and 'play'.

I don't think the likes of Playmobil and Lego would be so popular if children had lost the ability to play imaginatively with them.

Younger grandson is very into technology. More so than his brother. We gave him a Nexus 7 for his birthday, which he is delighted with! His mum will ration his time on it. He still loves his Playmobile. (And always wants more of it )

But even Lego now comes as kits that make one thing, instead of generic shapes that made anything, as it started off. New kits are being advertised all the time, so that children will want to collect a set.

The best toys can be turned into whatever the imagination demands. When I ran a playgroup, one of the popular toys was a collection of the large bits of polystyrene that are packed round large white goods. they could be piled up to build houses (some bits had convenient holes for windows) or castles. They were free too! and if used as weapons they did not do any damage

The difficulty is that the GC come to me and they are already programmed to want TV etc. and I find that I am engaged in a battle/holding operation to try and get them to do something else. The opportunites are here, but they are not interested. When I look at all the toys that are never played with at my DD's house I despair. Things like toy cookers, dolls'houses etc - but they never bother with them. I do my best to engage them with other things but it is a battle.

Also they do not seem to play with friends as we used to. Every day we would be playing at a friend's house or a friend would be round at our's to play. It does not seem to happen now so much. I am sure they atre missing out, but bite my tongue.

DD1 uses the TV for calming sessions, or when GS is tired and needs a rest (or when she needs a rest from him). Most of the time the telly is off. If children are losing their ability to play imaginatively, it's our fault. We are the ones who need to change how we 'manage' the children's time.

The kids I know haven't lost their ability to play imaginatively. I'm thinking of Cubs and DD's friends. It's quite hard to get Cubs to come in sometimes because they are having so much fun with their flag capturing or tig or hide and seek games. Likewise when DD had pals round to play.

We have still got the (dusty) made- up versions of DS' s Lego kits on top of a wardrobe. I agree there is not much play value once they are built. And I seem to remember dad did most of the building.

Playmobile is much better IMO.

Tv's are easily turned off. Just say "mummy said". Works for me.

Mishap having just had GC staying, I would echo your thoughts. I found it terribly sad that the five year old GD just wasn't interested in any creative play or indeed having a story or looking at books. The problem, I think, is that entertainment is available via a screen 24/7. I seem to remember there being a very limited amount of childrens' TV when mine were young. Playschool - 15mins around 10am then Sesame Street around 1pm. Now CBeebies is available all day and also available via my laptop all the time Grandma. It's hard to compete. This is only talking of television; that's followed by the exciting games etc. easily accessible by the average 3 year old on a tablet.

I do blame the parents but then again wonder if I, as a working mother, wouldn't have given in to this seductive baby sitter.

Having just spent a week with my 4 DGC (14mths-7+yrs) I can say absolutely that they enjoy a balance of technology, creative arts and imaginative play!
I had to endure enjoy endless theatrical perfomances, admire many works of art, be captured by the sand dune monsters,dig tunnels on the beach, be amazed by shells, dead crabs and pebbles, find just the right bits of Lego, provide food for a 'midnight' feast, support making & decorating cup-cakes etc. I was the one looking forward to the time before tea when TV and technology was on the agenda!

Sel, why did n' t you turn the tv off? And take any screens away?

Not being argumentative. Genuine question.

You can't keep kids away from technology. It would be just wrong. But you need boundaries timewise.