Playing is an essential element in children’s development. Looking for those activities in which kids boost their creativity and imagination is key for their cognitive, social and emotional development. Open-ended games are an extraordinary option for this, we share with you what they consist of and what benefits they offer to the little ones.
What are open-ended games?
Open-ended games are those in which there is no specific way to be played, all of them are valid since they do not have an established purpose. As they do not have a closed function, the ways to play with them are infinite. These types of games have no limits or rules, which makes them especially interesting for children’s creative development.
What are the benefits of open-ended games?
The fact of having to combine, transform and experiment with this type of games enhances a myriad of creative skills that help to increase their flexible thinking. Here are some of the other benefits of open-ended games:
- They boost their self-esteem and confidence. We have previously talked about how playing boosts children’s self-esteem, and open-ended games create the perfect situation for children to put their own ideas and creativity into practice in a tangible way. Successfully achieving their goals on their own will help them to feel fulfilled, to value themselves and to grow in self-esteem and confidence.
- They create a safe and relaxed environment. Since they are not designed for a specific purpose, open-ended games create an environment in which there is no fear of failure or making mistakes. The freedom offered by this type of games makes children much more relaxed, allowing them to develop their creativity, curiosity and critical thinking, as well as generating a more positive attitude towards adversity and a greater desire to learn.
- They provide more independence. Related to the previous point, with open-ended play, children have room to explore new ideas, test and discover. Since there is no right way to play, children must use their imagination and creativity to make their own decisions. Developing this type of behavior makes them more independent and also enhances their leadership skills.
- They develop their emotional and social intelligence. Open-ended games can also be played in company. As we have already mentioned, with this type of games the level of pressure and alertness goes down, which favors the development of social skills with other children. Their emotions also develop without limits or worries, so they process them in a more free and conscious way.
- Play time is increased. In this point we are talking about the time children spend playing, as well as the years that the toy itself lasts. On the one hand, since there is no specific purpose, children can spend hours experimenting and creating immersed in the game. On the other hand, because it is an open-ended game, it can grow with the child. As the child gets older, their cognitive abilities and skills will increase, which will make them exploit the game in a different way with much wider limits.
- Improve their motor skills. This type of games makes the little ones work both their fine and gross psychomotor skills. In addition, they will help to enhance their coordination and vocabulary, necessary skills for success in school and future life.
Nowadays there is a wide range of open-ended games. A classic example would be construction toys. At Lekkid we currently have three construction games available that are based on the concept of ‘open-ended play’ to develop children’s creative skills.
Imaginary Fauna Jungle and Imaginary Fauna Desert enhance their flexible thinking, while Magical Lights is based on productive play. We believe in play as a playful learning tool, contact us for more information!
