A friend asked me recently to help her with a gift idea for her niece’s upcoming birthday. She seemed confused when I suggested she buy her a play silk. “What is that?” I remember her asking. Naturally, I showed her our collection of play silks, to which she exclaimed, “But they are just pieces of fabric. They don’t DO anything!”
How wrong she was!
I went on to explain that open ended toys, such as play silks, may appear to some as mere objects – missing the batteries, lacking the lights, the sounds, the plastic, and the gloss that the toys of department store sale catalogues and TV advertisements have taught us are necessary for fun. Yet, these seemingly lifeless objects, bread imagination, elicit laughter, foster learning, ignite the senses, build creativity, and offer endless opportunities for wonderful, magical, authentic play! They don’t entertain for hours, but rather years… growing in their versatility as our children grow… becoming something new each day, never limited by commercial fads, battery life, or fading obsessions.
A hot air balloon floating up through the clouds to the place wear rainbows bloom… a flag… a river… a beach… a superhero cape… a hammock for a bunny… a dress for high tea… a picnic blanket… a fount of boiling hot lava… a rainbow kite at the beach… a swaddle for a pineapple baby… a weather map… a garden… a parachute… a tablecloth… a hiding place… gift wrap… these are just some of the many amazing things my children have transformed our play silks into, this year alone!
Their bright colours, slippery softness, and incredible dynamicity mean that the possibilities with play silks are endless – the sky is the limit!
Needless to say, my friend purchased a play silk for her niece. I cannot wait to hear about the play that it inspires.
Have you invested in a play silk yet?
by Cathie Thomas (@sweetlittle.blessings)
