Imagination
No adult in the entire world can match up to the imaginative capabilities of a child. If you find this hard to believe, then just watch them playing around with inanimate things and listen to them as they weave their story around it. A simple branch or a stick could be a powerful wand to them. An ordinary piece of cloth, when tied to their shoulder (like a cape) can make them feel like Superman. Tiny bits and pieces can be used in the most beautiful and creative ways possible.
You don’t have to go too far to analyse this. Give your child one of your used customized boxes and watch as it becomes a castle, a fortress, a ship, a home and various other things. You may have ignored the box after its purpose was fulfilled, but in the hands of a child, the box still has plenty of usage left. Unless the child gets the opportunity to explore his imagination, he won’t be able to develop this key skill which has made common men into masters of their field of work. So the next time you find your kid playing around with common stuff, encourage the child instead of chiding him.
While objects may be more or less constant in size, the child’s physical characteristics change with time and this gains the interest of the children. If you can recall some of your childhood memories, you would understand the reason behind you interest in trying to unlock the latch of the door. Initially, you had to take the support of some kind of a platform to reach it, but as your height grew, not only were you able to unlatch it easily but it also gave you happiness. Let kids explore their space and become aware of the relativity of different sized objects.
Asensory Experiences
All of us have become accustomed to providing kids with rich sensory experiences as it is good for the development of the senses. But sometimes, even asensory experiences can be a learning experience. Unless you provide the child with a lack of sensory rich environment, he won’t be able to grasp its importance.
If you consider simple cardboard boxes or even White Corrugated Boxes, the colour is pretty bland and has nothing much to offer, the smell of the material is also subtle in nature, the sound made when you bend the cardboard is also muffled and not “rich” enough to excite your sensory receptors, the smooth sides do not provide much chances for inference and the structure of the box implies emptiness.
The interesting part about such asensory environments is the way in which children comprehend these things and then go about exploring it. Such experiences help the kids to develop their senses even further.
Sense of Control
What is the one thing that is always expected from children when it comes to playing with cardboard boxes? Kids love to hide inside them. In terms of developing a sense of control, the child initially hides inside the box and tempts you into explore every nook and corner. When the time is just right, the child will come out of hiding and startle you. This sense of control requires patience, analysis and proper judgement to achieve the desired effect. All of these aspects are rather difficult to teach with conventional methods, but with these games, you can help the child to understand the things in a better manner.
Experiencing a Secure Environment
Irrespective of whether it is a child or an adult, all of us are comforted by the sense of security where we may bundle up. We all need our personal space which we may call our own. For kids, it is the small spaces inside cardboard boxes that they find extremely comforting. This is just a small step in encouraging them to find their own space that not only gives them comfort, but also a feeling of security.
