The Imagination Tree

Creative play and learning for kids

30 Days to Hands on Play Challenge!

by

Today is November 1st and it marks the beginning of a VERY exciting month!



I have teamed up with my friend Jamie at hands on: as we grow to bring you a fabulous, fresh and fun-filled challenge called:

30 Days to Hands on Play!

What is the challenge?

To spend every day this month playing with our children:
  • for at least 15 minutes a day
  • without any interruptions
  • trying out a new range of ideas and activities
How will the challenge work?

Jamie and I will present a short, easy play idea for every day in this coming month. We will alternate between our two blogs with each idea and encourage you to try it out and find some new ideas to freshen up your play repertoire!

We will be doing the challenge right along with you and would love it if we could all discuss how each day has gone in the comments or over in our Blog Frog forum The Play Network! We are looking forward to being as inspired and challenged by all of you as you are by the challenge itself. 

Please do join us!

The challenge starts now! 

Day 1: 
Today’s activity              
Spend a little bit of time thinking about this challenge. What do you hope to gain?
Think about your child (or children) What do they really love doing? What are they good at? Their special interests? This will be really helpful as the challenge unfolds.

Here’s mine:
I want to be inspired to try some new ways to play and to make sure that there are absolutely no distractions while doing so, so that both girls have my absolute full attention when we are together.

Cakie: is full of energy, loves to climb, throw, jump and run. She is also incredibly imaginative and will make up stories and role plays with toys or even her fingers! She loves to try things to see what they can do and to stack, build, tie and create.

                

Pop: adores colouring, painting and drawing and cries when we have to tidy those things away! She loves to fill and empty, build with blocks and take care of her baby dolls and teddies. She is curious and inquisitive, testing new materials and not in any way afraid to get messy or stuck right in!

Your turn!
Grab a coffee and a notepad and quickly write out your hopes for this challenge, then stick it on the fridge!

Tomorrow there will be the first play idea, shared over on hands on: as we grow!

Get reminders in your inbox for each day of this challenge


Comments

  2. angelique felix says

    Hi dear playfriend,
    What a great challenge for us all! I love it very much and I will support you and Jamie as much as I can.
    Let’s have fun and bring play forward, Iam proud of you
    Angelique

  7. Katie says

    Count me in! Such a great idea and boost to encourage me to be more intentional and creative with my son (he’s 3). I found you via transatlantic blonde’s blog, and really happy to have discovered your blog.

  11. Rachel T says

    Wow, what a fabulous idea! Am definitely in. For the days I’m not at work, anyway… Thank you for the heads up.
    (incidentally, our girls are really quite spookily similar. My eldest is so energetic and imaginative, and the youngest – whilst still very energetic – is much more interested in drawing, and also obsessed with dolls. So funny!)

  12. Susanna says

    This sounds really good- and also has mad eme relasie that I find it a bit hard to make a list like yours…….smack hands mummy, have not been paying enough attention to my kidlets!! Well, I know what they like but it starts with w and ends with ii! Tee hee- no, I do hav some ideas so I will engage my brian. This has come at a great time as I am really needing to restructure and refocus my time with the boys.

  13. homeschoolingthecameronclan says

    I think this is an awesome idea! I know there are many days where I look back and wonder where the day went and what have my kids been up to today. This will be helpful since the holidays are right around the corner!

  15. ATC says

    Wow! This challenge could not have come at a better time! I have two little ones of my own that I am privileged to be able to play with every day, AND we are opening a childcare centre in two short months as well! The more ideas, the better for everyone!

    I tried to sign up for the email list, but I’m also
    getting an error message.

  20. Alisha says

    Really great idea, can”t wait to get started

    Also had problems subscribing so can you add me too,

    alc333@live.co.uk

    Totally loving the website and have tried many of your ideas which my kids have really enjoyed

    Thanks