The value of free play
“The educational value of schleich® figurines lies in their ability to spark free play, thus making a positive contribution to children’s development. In the study, 89% of parents agreed that schleich® toys boosts their children’s imagination. That is very important to us.”
Stefan De Loecker, CEO Schleich GmbH
Free play gives children important skills for the future
Did you know, that the horse can take off and fly and the lion occasionally hosts a tea party on the rug?
A glimpse into the boundless imagination of children shows that absolutely anything is possible. Free play describes this form of play without boundaries or instructions, with endless possibilities. Free play is a natural and basic need shared by all children, and it contributes to their development in many ways.
To get to the bottom of the importance of free play, we conducted a study with over 4,000 parents together with the University of Koblenz. The results show: 84% of parents would like their children to spend most of their playtime engaged in free play. They rate schleich® play figurines as particularly suitable for this type of play: 75% of children use them (very) frequently in their free play.
The findings of our study
Free play fosters a wide range of skills
Wiebke Waburg, Professor of Pedagogy at the University of Koblenz explains: “Free play supports children’s development and teaches them important skills for their future, such as creativity, problem-solving and self-confidence.”
The time for free play decreases
First the toy, then the idea
Most stories are inspired by whatever happens to be available. This was confirmed by 69% of parents. Toys that encourage creativity are the key here. Because they allow your children to fully unleash their imagination. schleich® play figurines are well suited for this and foster children’s imagination, say 89% of parents. It makes no difference whether the figurines are realistic animals or imaginary creatures. The themes in free play range from family topics to everyday situations and fictional worlds. However, children most frequently play with animals and nature (77%).
Conclusion
Our study shows: time for free play is precious. It is well worth setting aside free time for this form of play, as there are enormous positive effects for your children. Supporting this important type of play is a matter of the heart for us and we are convinced that schleich® figurines are story starters and inspiration for ever new, colorful and creative stories.
Are you looking for creative ideas with our play figurines? Then we have a few tips for you here:
Here are three tips on how you can gently encourage free play:
Ask your children to build a farm, a savannah or a jungle. A small themed impulse can help to get them into free play. Later, the kids can tell you about their stories.
Integrate the schleich® figurines into your everyday life. The cow helps with brushing teeth, the tiger listens while practicing the flute and the llama unicorn eats lunch with you. This way, children can easily switch from everyday activities to free play.
After school or kindergarten, why not let your children tell the polar bear or elephant about their day? The schleich® animals are wonderful listeners and perhaps a pretend play will develop out of it.
Off on vacation - three fun animal game ideas for the road
All you need are a few schleich® figurines and a small bag
Put the figurine in the bag, close your eyes and feel. How many legs does the animal have? Does it have a big belly or maybe a fin? Who can guess all the figurines in his bag the fastest?
The child pulls a schleich® animal out of the bag and looks for something of the same color. Can the other passengers guess what it is?
Your little one pulls an animal out of the bag and describes it one by one. For example: My animal has big ears, my animal has four legs, my animal is a mammal, and so on. Who will be the first to guess which animal it is?
No more boring vacations - three fun activities with schleich® figurines
Fashion show is the order of the day for the schleich® animals. Your children can design and create outfits for their figurines with gift bows, thin felt fabric, crepe paper, small beads and much more. The Haflinger mare is sure to be delighted with a new horse blanket or a glittering pearl necklace.
The children grab their schleich® figurines and build a play landscape in the garden using natural materials. A stable made of leaves and sticks, hurdles made of stones, a feeding place made of pine cones– there are no limits to creativity.
