You can create mindful memories with your kid using the simplest materials, including playsilks! In case you haven't heard of them, playsilks (sometimes known as scarves) are colorful fibrous wonders that can nurture countless hours of imaginative play for little ones— without cluttering your home.
From baby play to fort building with toddlers, these dreamy fabrics help cultivate mindful play while nurturing timeless discovery. After exploring the activities listed below, you’ll soon find yourself and your kiddo unlocking a world of inventive activities!
Activities to Do with Playsilks
Parachute Play with Babies
Peek-a-Boo with Babies
Fort Building
Dancing
Dramatic Play (dress up, blanket for dolls, tablecloth)
Imaginative Play
What is a playsilk?
Sometimes referred to as play scarves, playsilks go beyond being pieces of fabric— playsilks are vibrant, transparent toys that spark creativity!
What are the educational benefits of playsilks?
While all play is educational, playsilks are beneficial in developing toddlers creativity and problem solving. This makes them great tools for open-ended play. With babies, playsilks offer sensory exposure while allowing them to explore cause and effect.
What ages are playsilks for?
Playsilks are suitable for all ages! In fact, you can purchase them in various sizes based on your kiddos age.
What are Sarah’s Silks?
Sarah’s Silks is a popular brand of playsilks made from non-toxic dyes and naturally sourced silk. The soft, silk texture of these scarves, along with the variety of designs, truly sets the company apart from other playsilks.
Parachute Play with Babies
Babies can get bored in play gyms, especially if their hanging toys aren’t rotated. You can easily vamp up play gym time with parachute play.
How to Play:
Open up playsilk. Hold the opposite ends. Slowly lift the playsilk up and down a few times before settling it over baby's play gym for a couple minutes. Throughout the interaction, speak to baby aloud, smile, and laugh.
What are babies learning through parachute play?
Cause-and-effect
Sensory exposure
Through parachute play, babies are observing cause-and-effect. They begin to put two and two together— when their caregiver lifts up the playsilk, they begin associating your action with a really cool visual and the feeling of the air blowing on their skin (sensory exposure).
If your baby has lots of hair, it's adorable to watch their big smiles or even hear them giggle as the playsilk blows their tiny strands of hair.
Peek-a-Boo
Peek-a-boo is one of the most classic games around and it's so simple to engage in.
🙈 How to Play:
You can introduce Peek-a-boo to babies as early as you'd like (newborns won't quite understand it, but still a way to bond). Cover your face with a playsilk for a few seconds then pull it off. Some babies will begin comprehending the way the game works as early as 11 months, but by 18 months, many babies are able to replicate the game for themselves.
If you catch your little one covering their face with a playsilk, take it as an invitation to engage in play. You can call out, "Where's Lincoln? Lincoln where are you?" When the child uncovers their face, you gasp in surprise and say, "hi, there you are!"
What are babies learning through peek-a-boo?
Object permanence
Cause and effect
Babies begin to develop an understanding of object permanence, which is the concept that objects, including themselves, continue to exist even when they're "out of sight" by their caregiver.
When babies play peek-a-boo with playsilks, they're also experimenting with cause and effect. (ie: when they cover their faces, their caregiver plays peek-a-boo with them)
Fort Building
Playsilks are hands down one of the best additions to epic fort building.
⛺️ How to Play:
In order to connect the playsilks to dining chairs or other items around the house, you'll definitely want to have a few sets of playclips.
For young toddlers, it might be easiest to build the fort for them, but definitely include them in the process as much as possible. (ie: can you hold this scarf here? Which playsilk do you want at the top of the fort? Can you attach the clip?)
With older toddlers, you can demonstrate an example of how your kiddo can connect the playsilks to chairs. Then, take a step back and see if they can do it by themselves.
What are kids learning through fort building?
Problem solving
Fine motor skills
Cooperation
Through experimenting with design of forts, kids can learn basic STEM principles of engineering and physics. When using playsilks to build forts, children learn A LOT about load-bearing and weight distribution. Fort building happens to be a great activity for siblings or playdates since it encourages kids collaborate, problem solve, and communicate their ideas with one another. Additionally, attaching playsilks to household objects using playclips strengthens fine motor skills.
Dancing with Playsilks
Unfortunately, as a society, we don't encourage kids to dance anymore-- unless your kid is taking a dance class. Even then, there's little space made for kids to dance freely without structure or steps to memorize. Having props like smaller playsilks or scarves can prompt them to dance.
How to Play:
Turn on some tunes or let your kid pick a song they love and hand them a playsilk. This could also be an opportunity to expose kids to instrumental or classical music. If you can't stand classical music, try searching for a classical pop playlist (Lindsey Sterling is an incredible pop violinist).
What can kids learn from dancing with playsilks?
Gross motor skills
Spatial awareness
Mindful listening
Dance helps toddlers develop gross motor skills, spatial awareness, and even self expression. While dancing with playsilks, toddlers practice mindful listening as they try to stay attuned to the melodies and rhythms of the music, the movement of the scarves, and the movement of their own bodies.
Dramatic Play (dress-up)
Dramatic play involves dress up, and with playsilks in your playspace, a playsilk can quickly turn into a superhero cape, a dress, a skirt, a belt, or anything else.
🦸🏽♀️ How to Play:
No instructions really needed here. Your toddler will come up with ideas themselves, they may ask for help with tying a knot in the playsilk to attach it to their body. The important thing is to go with it and yes, that means even if your son pretends he's wearing a dress.
What can toddlers learn from using playsilks in dramatic play?
Innovation
Social Emotional Learning
Dramatic play allows kids to reimagine their abilities and express emotions. It also encourages creativity and imagination while improving communication skills.
Imaginative Play
Imaginative play is another area that should be encouraged more in the early years. Today, caregivers are too focused on "kindergarten readiness." This might be an unpopular opinion, but I think a kindergartener that can tap into their imagination and come up with unique stories or ideas will have far greater achievements than the kindergartener that had to spend everyday of summer filling out pages of those kindergarten readiness workbooks.
🌄 How to Play:
If given the space, kids will feel comfortable engaging in imaginative play on their own. I've seen toddlers use playsilks as blankets for baby dolls and stuffies. I've seen kids use playsilks as tablecloths, and even as swords. Playsilk maps can also get the creative juices flowing.
What can toddlers learn from using playsilks in imaginative play?
Executive function skills like planning
Storytelling, communication skills, and self-advocacy
The playsilk maps are great story prompts. As long as caregivers nurture and encourage imaginative play, a playsilk can be anything!
Is there a particular playsilk activity that your litttle one gets lost in? If so, I'd love to know more, feel free to share it in the comments below!
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