Open ended toys are not something that I was always educated about.
In fact with my first born Hamza, we were living in Dubai and I had no idea what ‘Open Ended Toys’ actually meant. It wasn’t until we moved back home to Sydney, Australia that I gained more knowledge about it and it is amazing benefits.
Whenever I used to go shopping for toys I would look at the obvious market toys that would grab your attention from the shelves. Things that make loud noises, have lots of lights, move electronically … you get the gist.
I noticed that initially the toy would be played with quite frequently … obviously as it is a new toy right?But soon after it would be found in a corner and he would barely touch it again unless I was the one who initiated the play.
So we started to do some research and began to learn about the endless opportunities that Open Ended Toys provide for children and we were amazed at what we found out!
Open ended toys such as these Rainbow Cups and Tubes from http://somewhereovertherainbowtoys.com.au are an extraordinary toy, as they work your little ones fine motor, large motor, and cognitive skills as they explore. They don’t have an exact way that they must be played with and so can be used in so many fun and exciting ways.
The Rainbow Cups and Tubes come with 24 pieces, and have 6 pieces in each size. They range from tallest to shortest and decrease in size in 1/4 increments. They are seriously perfect for any age and are created to encourage your little ones love for colors, physics, maths, imaginative play and so much more.
Here are some ways my children love to play with them:
- Stacking them up on top of one another and knocking them down
- Color sorting and organising
- Small world play, using them as tunnels for insects etc
- Lining them up and learning about the different colors
- Sensory play for scooping and pouring. Did you know that early maths, construction and scientific skills can be built on through sensory play?
- A simple game of hide and seek, they love placing a small object amongst the tubes and trying to find them
- And our favorite of all which is threading them through our Play Silkies, which leads me to our next ultimate open ended toy ….
Play Silkies.
We have a small collection of Play Silkies that we have also purchased from http://somewhereovertherainbowtoys.com.au and we are a huge fan!
Children are obsessed with the beautiful bright colours that they boast and the way that the silk drapes and flies when moved around in the wind is a sure winner for any child.
Designed in Australia and made to be strong, durable but silky soft they are perfect for any time of the day and for any child.
We love using them almost everyday and here are some examples:
- Dress up and cubby house play is obvious, but fantastic
- Simple peek a boo with my 11 month old daughter is a massive hit
- Imaginative play when we are running around outdoors
- Tying them to your pram when you’re out and about can be calming for your baby to look at when they blow in the wind
- Using them as a base for sensory play, both dry and wet
- Hiding letters and numbers in them as a fun activity for children to learn language and numeracy
- Pulling them out of a box like they would with tissues. No more tissues everywhere!
- Tying them together and threading on the appropriate coloured rings to learn about colours
- Using them to wrap up special gifts as a eco friendly way to reduce waste
I could definitely go on but I think you get the point.
Play Silkies are a must have for any family, there are so many beautiful colours and sizes, and just recently they have released some new pieces which are the Jumbo Play Silkies.
Boasting at a huge ( 180cm x 90cm ), they are without a doubt a fantastic open ended toy to have. For the Jumbo range they have released a rainbow, clouds and galaxy design which is our personal favorite.
However if you are looking at starting your Play Silkie collection I would recommend getting a hold of the Mini Silks. They come in a set of 6 block colours made from the highest quality Habotai Silk and measure approximately ( 45cm x 45cm).
We adore our Mini Silks so much, they are fantastic for any age and our favorite way to use them is in sensory and small world play. We also love to take them for a day out when we go to the park or beach and if they get wet, I feel the colors are even more beautiful and they dry super fast!
You can get your hands on any of the products mentioned above from http://somewhereovertherainbowtoys.com.au and use my personal code JESSICA10 for a sneaky discount!
Let your child use their imagination and learn to explore in their own way by starting your own collection of open ended toys! You will see the difference in how they play I promise!
Love always,
Jessica Cairney.
