Blog - The Imagination Centre

  You may have seen on previous blogs or on our social media platforms that we talk a lot about loose parts, process art etc. All of these come under the same category of open ended play! Open ended play is play with no rules, instructions or predetermined outcome, it is the rebel of the play world! If you're anything like me, that is appealing in itself, I have always struggled not to challenge the "rules"! But maybe you are more of a rule follower where everything has it's place and purpose? Read on and I'll share why having moments of playing like a rebel is the way forward! Imagination Open ended toys such as pegs, blocks, wood slices and wobble boards don't have a prescribed purpose, therefore children have to use their imagination and engage in thinking creatively. We have no idea what the world will be like in 20 years, that is why imagination and creativity are going to be so important for our kids! Independence A jigsaw puzzle will always have an end,...

 Getting something for free sounds too good to be true, right? Wrong! What if I were to tell you that some of the best resources for your child to play with were either already in your home or you could pick them up from outside? You might be starting to see where I'm going with this so let's dive in! Christmas has just been and you may have noticed that your small person was more interested in the box and the wrapping than the present inside, it's a tale as old as time! However, there is good reason for this. The box and wrapping are totally open ended, you could play peek-a-boo, turn the box in to a car, make a doll's House. That box can be anything you want it to be, physically it is and always will be a box, but using some imagination it can be anything you want it to be and it can change too! When you think about it, if there were a toy for sale that could be anything your child wanted it to be and it was cheap as chips, you'd be pretty sold! The box is a class...

  "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist as he grows up." Pablo Picasso This is where process art comes in! Process art is about the making and creating rather than the end product, this can sometimes be jarring as an adult. It is funny because in my work I am able to appreciate process art fully, we may have an idea but children are free to explore that however they want, even if that means spending the whole session painting their hands! At home, like many parents I meet, I have to make more of a conscious effort not to interfere! Here is why I know it is so important to let children be involved in process art. It Increases Self Esteem Letting children express themselves so freely and truly appreciating the process with adults who trust them is like magic! It can help to strengthen connection and relationships as you carve out time together and gives children time to relax. As it is open ended it means there is no failure so every child can be suc...

Father's Day is just around the corner and everyone loves a homemade gift. Here are some ideas of cute hand and foot print gifts. A cute idea for a dino loving dad! Let dad or grandad know that you love them to the moon. Do this sweet bee foot print to thank them for bee-ing so special. Use fabric paint to design an adorable outfit. A book is perfect for popping in photos and memories. Moo-ve him with this simple but effective cow foot print We love this sailboat using footprints. Take the time to make something special this year. We are on hand to help with our Father's Day Crafty Keepsakes sessions. Visit www.littleimaginations.uk for more details and to book

  Messy play is a lovely, exciting, tactile experience that helps children's development! Here are 5 easy ideas of bases* you can use to provide an enriching experience. Gloop Equal parts cornflour and water create this wonderful substance! Solid when squeezed or pressure is exerted, liquid as it trickles through your fingers. Mix it up with food colouring to suit your theme and add toys or kitchen utensils. Crazy Soap Foam Available to buy in most supermarkets, we LOVE this hypoallergenic foam. It's mouldable, clap your hands to create a snow like storm or squeeze it. Perfect for winter themed set ups or to create a foamy sea. Lentils Scooping, digging, pouring and sprinkling! Lentils are an inexpensive way of incorporating sensory play in to your day. Lentils are also perfect for practicing mark making and strengthening those fingers ready for writing later. Spaghetti Spaghetti can be coloured by boiling in water with food colouring. You can make anything from a rainbow to wi...

Watching your child develop and mature through their drawing is so exciting, especially when you receive that first picture of you! But what can you expect when? It's important to remember all children develop at their own pace and hit milestones at different times so try not to compare your child with others. Instead, keep drawing fun and let them explore freely, children don't need to be taught to draw they just need the materials to do so. With that in mind here are some rough milestones of what you may expect. 1 year+ Babies and toddlers start to learn to grasp and use crayons to mark make around 15-18 months. These marks don't represent anything yet, they are just scribbles and lines and teach babies about cause and effect. 2 years+ Scribbles start to evolve in to shapes, particularly circles, lines and loops. These shapes and movements are made with more purpose to repeat and will begin to develop in to simple drawings. 3 years+ Fine motor control and hand eye coordin...

 Hand and foot print art can be surprisingly controversial! We now have so much access to "perfect" looking activities and crafts to do with your children, that actually look as if a child has been nowhere near them!  My passion is process art, child led creativity where we provide the tools and let them run with it. It is all about the process and doing rather than the perfect Pinterest-worthy finished piece. Process art covers so many learning opportunities, including problem solving, building fine motor skills and it builds self esteem. Many argue that hand print art doesn't encompass any of this, it is adult led and has a defined outcome with no benefit to the child. So, where do I stand? I am, perhaps rather boringly, on the fence. I see a place for process art and for hand prints and our classes reflect this. As a mother I know how quickly those tiny hand prints grow. I am so grateful to have a record over the years to look back on, even if they do make my heart ach...