Monday 30 July 2018

Free Play with Petits Filous


This week, Archie brought a friend home from school.  He came in and asked what we had to play with him.

“What is your favourite toy at home?” I asked him

“Well I really love cardboard boxes” he replied and just like that I felt more positive about the future.  Giving my children the option to free play is really important to me and their imaginations will be the ones changing the world.  

Mine have screen time (too much I should probably admit), swimming lessons and after school club every week but we try and make sure that they have opportunities to play free every day, to leave behind the structure of nursery and school and expectations of learning and just run with whatever comes in to their heads.  They are encouraged to just be, without any input from me, so they can find their own games.

Free Play is exactly that. . . free.


It doesn’t require expensive props or toys, it doesn’t even require your time or input.  As a child I remember turning the coffee tables upside down and making them into hutches with my siblings so we could be bunnies.  My children love transforming things that have been earmarked for the recycling bin and a cardboard box and some Petits Filous yoghurt pots are always staples.  Finn will without a doubt request I make him a car and he and Cora drive all over the place in it, taking turns to drive and push each other round. Dylan usually prefers crafting something himself but he isn’t yet too big to get stuck in with the toddlers’ games and he loves to steer the play in new ways.  They free play alone, in pairs and every now and again all four together.


Sometimes I watch them, listen to their language evolving, witnessing them problem solving and embracing their imaginations.  I think offering them the opportunity to free play every day is one of the most important things I can do as a parent and I am hoping my children continue having the capacity to just play for many more years.  Today’s innovators are those that can step away from what we already know and can access that free space in their mind where they can imagine the future.


Petits Filous have researched the importance of Free Play and teamed up with Amazon Pantry to encourage more children to create and imagine.  You can even get technology involved with Alexa! Simply ask Alexa to ‘Open Petits Filous’ to add sound effects and another dimension to their play.

This summer we are going to encourage the children to be bored because once they push past boredom, they become creative, they play free and they grow their imaginations! You can find out more over on the Petits Filous facebook page



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3 comments:

  1. Imaginary play and uses the simple things around you is so important, I loved to watch my kids do it when they were younger. Mich x

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  2. Free play is definitely so important! I remember I had a lot of it as a child and it really helped grow my imagination!

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  3. I think it's so important, but it's also a skill wewe that to nurture! My eldest is actually fantastic at this, far more imaginative than me. She has her Daddy to thank!

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