Creating childhood memories in 2020

South African children have been home for more than five weeks now.
Holidays have come and gone and online schooling has become a reality in most homes.
In the frantic rush to prepare for lockdown very few, if any, parents thought of stocking up on toys, stationery and creative craft materials.
Who would have imagined that the major retailers would not be allowed to sell these items as they are on the ‘non-essential items’ list?
Many households have been left scrambling to occupy children, especially younger children while trying to run the household and work online.
Online schooling and supporting their children has also been a challenge for many parents.
Children initially relished the idea of limitless screen time and relaxed routines and schedules.
However, the novelty has worn off and parents and children are looking for other ways to keep occupied during the lockdown period. Although there is hope that schools will start reopening, the younger grades will only return to school later in the year.
We as parents can easily utilise the toys that children are ‘bored’ with in a different way and use everyday items around the home to entertain the little ones (and even the older children) and keep them busy.

Here are some ideas to use toys in a different way:

• Puzzles that have been built should be turned over. Get the children to draw or paint their own picture on the blank side of the puzzle to create a unique new puzzle. If you don’t have paint search online for homemade paint recipes.
• Lego is a firm favourite with children. Set a #Challenge and get them to create something with their Lego, like a tablet stand, a key holder, a marble track. Posting their creations is a must.
• Dolls and teddies can be used to have a tea party or picnic with their friends. Encourage them chat to their friends about their day. Record it and send to their friends’ parents. They can also set up adventures like going to a game farm, camping or playing a favourite sport. Social engagement in fantasy play is very important.
• Toy cars can be used to aim at targets. Make a garage from a food box and write numbers on top of the holes. See how many points the child can score. You can also encourage the child to take the cars on an adventure and build the scene, like driving to a holiday destination or going to school. Play outside and make roads in the sand or make muddy tracks.
• Teach your children to build houses from a pack of cards. Play memory games. Teach them a new card game.

Ideas for fun toys to make at home:

• Playdough is easy to make at home and lasts long in an airtight container. Cookie cutters etc are great fun but children can be quite creative just moulding the dough with their hands. See attached recipe.
• Keep your food boxes, egg boxes, cold drink bottles and other plastic containers. Any tape can be used to help the child to create robots, buildings, cars or animals. Take a photo to remember it at a later stage.
• The carboard rolls from inside toilet rolls can be stuck onto doors with Prestik to create a marble track.
• Polystyrene trays can be turned into photo frames. You can cut them or press tooth picks into them to make pictures.
• Squash up newspaper or scrap paper into small balls to have a paper ball fight.

Games that have stood the test of time:

• Pillow fights
• Building forts with the lounge furniture and blankets
• Hopscotch on the driveway with chalk
• Draw a snakes-and-ladders board on the driveway with chalk. The children are the pieces and you can make a large dice from cardboard and tape.
• Play nought and crosses or Marabaraba

We have an opportunity to make special memories with our children now.
What are your fondest childhood memories?
Mine are of playing toy cars in the mud and making tunnels for them in the side of a sandy bank, having tea parties with my dolls, playing marble games and turning the lounge furniture upside down and making a fort
Let your memories guide you now.
Your child will treasure these moments of play and creativity with you in years to come. We can change the value of real play for future generations.

Written by: Adele Spear (Occupational Therapist)
Founder of Virtual Aunty (Online visits to children and parents in Lockdown to share creative ideas individualised to the child)