Discovering the World Through Storytelling with Toys

Stories are one of the most important ways in which children learn about the world in their early years. Stories and narratives have the power to introduce new places, creatures and concepts, as well as begin educating little ones about different people and cultures across the world.

Toys and play are a fundamental tool in a child’s cognitive development. Play sets and ‘real-world’ figures such as animals, people and vehicles stimulate small children’s understanding of the world around them. Discovering more about their wider environment grows children’s confidence, helps them to have appropriate reactions when faced with real-world situations and expands their horizons beyond their home and school experiences.

We’ve shared lots of ideas for interactive storytelling in our recent blog, Interactive Storytelling For Every Age. In this article, we will be looking at how to bring storytelling to life with play sets and figures, encourage your child to think outside the box when playing and stretch their problem solving, concentration, empathy, social and memory skills and have fun playing together with all sorts of different toys.

Creating Narratives

The narratives within your child’s play will often start with simple scenarios that replicate their real world experiences/ As they grow and learn more about the world, the stories within their play become more complex and imaginative, melding imagined scenarios with real.  Creativity, imagination a sense of self and their position in the world all grow as these stories are repeated and developed.

Fine Motor Skills

Play sets such as dolls houses and garages require setting up and organising. Moving pieces around to fit scenarios, selecting places for certain objects and moving characters around scenes all require using hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills which continuing developing through their early childhood. Telling more complicated stories through toys may involve mixing and matching characters or creatures from different play sets, stretching their creativity

Problem Solving

Creating their own scenes and worlds requires problem solving and analytical skills. Does one of their farm animals need a vet? Or perhaps a fireman needs to visit the garage to have his truck fixed. Working these small problems. This kind of play teaches perseverance and the importance of trial and error, which are key components of effective problem-solving.

Discovering The World

We’ve written previously about how playing with animal figures and play sets can teach empathy and foster an interest in the natural world – there are similar benefits to imaginative play based on real-world scenarios. A zoo play set with a variety of creatures can teach children about animals, agriculture, and the environment. A hospital, doctors or dentists set-up can help prepare children for real-world scenarios and allow them to try out their own ideas about what these experiences might be like. Learning about society through play is just one of the ways you can help to prepare your child for a confident, successful journey into adulthood.

Playing Together

Playing together with your young child is an excellent way to create memories, bond and learn about each other, as well as teach them vital skills such as cooperation, leading, listening and sharing. Here are some of our idea for successful collaborative play involving storytelling:

Wildlife Play – As you play, teach your child about the animals they you encounter and where they might live, Encourage them to name them, make their sounds and suggest ways in which they interact – are the lion and the mouse friends? Pirate ships, or sharks and octopus toys can help start a conversation about marine life and what lives under the sea. Grow their vocabulary by describing their habitats and relating them to places your child will know. Would a giraffe be happy living in the park? Could a dinosaur make a home on the beach? Read more ideas for playing with animal play sets in our blog, Exploring The Animal Kingdom and Nature Through Play

Neighbourhood Exploration – Set up a small town or neighborhood using people play sets and various building blocks or get creative together and make scenes with card, egg boxes or whatever you have around the house. Role-play everyday scenarios such as visiting the shops going to the park, having the bins collected, or having a play date with friends. This helps children understand social interactions, community roles, and builds their empathy and communication skills. It doesn’t have to be realistic either, allow your little one to explore the furthest reaches of the solar system or a magical mushroom forest and with toys that encourage knowledge growth and creative thinking.

Family Day Out – Use people play sets such as our Happyland collection, with it’s colourful buildings and fun characters, to simulate fun scene. Lay out a small blanket, toy food, and invite your child’s favourite figures to join in with a picnic or set up a sport’s day with races and obstacles. Would a rabbit beat an octopus in a race? This role-playing activity encourages family bonding, teaches sharing and manners, and enhances fine motor skills as they set up and act out a family day out – even if one of the guests is a dragon!

Build Their Imaginary World With Happyland

Happyland toys provide a wonderful way for children to mimic real-world scenarios or tell imaginative stories with sets featuring fantasy creatures and characters. From cottages to rocket ships, Happyland toys can be played with separately or combined to create an exciting town full of stories, imagination and fun. Explore the entire Happyland range below, and start your child on a journey of discovery that will not give them hours of fun, laughter and time with you, but teach them valuable social and cognitive skills that will help them grow up with a true sense of their own place in the world. Read more about all the fun of Happyland in our blogs, and explore the whole collection online.

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