Definition of play: engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose; engage in (a game or activity) for enjoyment; amuse oneself by engaging in imaginative pretence;
Since I make toys – and I’m a mother of a little one – I begin to grow more and more curious about playing. How children these days play, how parents interact and play with them, how can we play in a fun way with them, how playing can help children’s development…
For this interview I have the pleasure to introduce you to Mel and her family.
Please tell us a bit about you and your family.
We are an argentinian daddy, a french mummy and a (almost) 5 years old boy born in Barcelona, living in France.
Best playground.
Wherever, we love to live in the country, playing outside, going for a walk, to the river, the forest…
In a free day what is your family favorite activity?
If the weather allows, we enjoy a lot the nature. If not, we stay at home improvising! We love cooking, drawing, painting, crafting, gardening…
How do you play with your kid? With what kind of toys?
Most of the time playing is very spontaneous so we can play with anything… But we have our family moments, for example, we love to play together before going to bed; we often play at “memory” and Luka almost always wins!!
What is your favorite toy? And from your children?
I think the best toy is imagination ;) Luka likes playing with any kind of toys. When he was a baby he used to spend a lot of time playing with hangers or yarns while I was sewing…
When you were a child what did you play and with what toys? What was your favorite one?
I used to play a lot outside too, I grew up in the country so it is easier to let the children play outside most of the time!
What kind of crafts/DIY projects do you like to do with your kid?
We just let the imagination run, nothing prepared, we paint, draw and try to cook!!
As I work at home, Luka is often in my workshop, using pieces of fabric to make invents, or blankets for his toys…
We also have reformed an old part of my grand-parents’ house and we made everything by ourselves, the biggest part by daddy but we helped a lot! (This will be soon on the blog! ;))
Your children prefer playing or watching tv? What he see in television influences how he play?
We decided not to have tv at home but Luka watches some cartoons on internet like “the little einsteins” or “telmo and tula” for example, this way we choose what to watch and when!
What is your children’s favorite book? And yours (from his collection)?
He likes me to read books for him at night before sleeping, he already has a good library! He doesn’t have A favorite book but likes stories about animals.
I loved a manga we used to read when we were living in Spain, from the public library, called “Chi’ s sweet home”, it is so cute!!
Please ask your kid “If you could choose to be a storybook character what would you be”? Why?
I asked him this morning and the answer is: “I would like to be….. Luka!!!!” (Great self-esteem!!!)
Do you know how does your children play at school?
He’ s quite calm so he likes to draw and paint etc, but outside I saw him enjoying a lot the bikes! He likes to play with older kids too.
Your kid prefer playing indoors or outdoors?
I’ d say both but with a preference for the freedom of being outside!
Does your kid like to create his own activities / games / characters?
Definitely!!! With his aunt (she’ s 9!), they often make funny shows after dinner, with a lot of serious repetitions!!!
Sounds and music are important in your child playing?
Not so much in his games but he enjoys music which is always sounding at home, he dances and sings!! He also goes to our little town’ s music school and he likes it a lot!
It’s wonderful being abble to introduce you to the lovely Mel and her family – thank’s so much Mel – loved your sweet little boy!
Mel is the creator behind the fun and unique kids clothes brand Miniparanoid and you can also follow her through here.
***
I would really like to know how your kids play? What’s their favorite toy, the one they cuddle at night?
Please leave a comment below.