As a parent-child specialist and clinical psychologist, I am often asked about appropriate toys to aid development and foster independent play. Without a doubt, my response to parents is a set of Imagimags.
One of the most important ways to understand development lies within the area of play. As a child psychologist, one of my biggest pieces of advice is to encourage your children to play more. Play is the medium of expression and the portal for learning and development. All things happen through play, cognitive capacities are built, emotional processing develops, and social dynamics are explored. And this is exactly what you achieve through the use of your Imagimags magnetic tiles. The incredible thing about open-ended toys is that, not only do they provide hours of fun and entertainment for children but they also contribute towards a child’s overall development.
When considering toys for children – the more we can focus on open-ended play, the better. This means that the toy has no boundaries – there is no set way or only one fixed way of exploring the toy. If we think about something like a ‘till’ it has one use and isn’t adaptable or able to change as a game might evolve. Open-ended toys like Imagimags are wonderful for achieving this flexibility and adaptability within play – there are unlimited ways of playing, and this allows the expansion of imaginative play, which is such an important part of play in the formative years. Tiles can be turned into parking garages, zoos, flowers, tunnels, bridges, homes, workplaces, dance floors and so so much more. The endless opportunities to create new and fresh play ideas mean that children are likely to go back, again and again – because the play always looks different, and keeps boredom at bay! Investing in a set of Imagimags is a must – you are investing in your child’s development, and are helping to foster more and more independent play.
Imagimags tap into various types of play:
Fine motor play is a wonderful way to build the small muscles in children’s hands. This is a complex task for many children to master (as we often see in their struggles doing zips, buttons, and even learning to write). Imagimags is a playful and fun way of enhancing fine motor skills, as it often requires a slower and gentle way of connecting tiles.
Imagimags encourage imaginative play. This is one of the most important types of play for psychological development. Being able to engage in this play is beneficial as children often use the tiles as a way to help process things they have experienced. Their creations provide opportunities to practice decision-making and social skills (such as sharing and collaborating) and even aid creative and intellectual development.
Finally, Imagimags enable constructive play. This type of play is so helpful for children who may be impulsive or high-energy and fast-paced. Constructing through play requires children to slow down, visualise and develop the idea of what they are creating. It requires forward thinking and the ability to hold in mind something that they need to work towards (for example, wanting to build two houses with a bridge between them). For this creation, a child needs to visualise the idea, and then be able to slow down enough to implement it.
The newest addition of the magnetic People Set helps to tap into the social skills and experiential processing element of the play. Having the various people allows children to explore their experiences, and play with them in a meaningful way. It creates social awareness and looks into diversity through different roles.
The tiles are extremely diverse, there are rectangles, squares, small triangles, big triangles, people, constructive pieces and so much more. They tap into exactly what all children want through play. The bright colours and different shapes are not only enticing for play but provide a creative way for learning. Children can create either 2D or 3D creations, and creations can range from small 3-piece houses to enormous 100-piece structures. The diversity is endless, and with that, the play opportunities are endless too.
Imagimags are a phenomenal addition to any home, not only do they foster open-ended and independent play, but they support creative and intellectual development, and enhance social skills and decision-making abilities.