Beyond plastic toys
Growing up in the vibrant 1970s, my childhood was a tapestry woven from sunlit afternoons spent outdoors, where imagination was my greatest toy. The only rule I had was to ‘come home before the street lights came on.’
With friends by my side, we transformed cardboard boxes into castles and old scraps of wood into go-karts, stilts, or makeshift dens. We crafted elaborate games, brewed mysterious potions from garden petals, shrubbery, and herbs, all fuelled by friendships and our boundless imagination and creativity. Fast forward to today, and I can't help but feel a deep concern for our children. Modern day homes are often filled with mountains of plastic toys, gadgets, and screens. Children are isolated and confined indoors, leading to a nature deficit that stifles the innate curiosity we once cherished.
“Research suggests a 52% increase in children’s screen time between 2020 and 2022, and that nearly 25% of children and young people use their smartphones in a way that is consistent with a behavioural addiction. Screen use has been found to start as early as six months of age. One in five children aged between three and four years old have their own mobile phone, increasing to one in four children by age eight and to almost all children by age twelve. The amount of time those aged 5–15 years old spent online rose from an average of 9 hours per week in 2009, to 15 hours per week in 2018.’ Gov.UK
Studies show that children today spend less than an hour a day outdoors (source: National Wildlife Federation), and they are becoming restricted both physically and mentally, looking to manufactured ‘things’ and ‘stuff’ to occupy their minds!
As a result, their imaginations seem trapped, overshadowed by a reliance on external entertainment rather than drawing joy from within. That intrinsic desire to be creative, curious, and sadly imaginative is fading.
“It is time for a return to childhood, to simplicity, to running and climbing and laughing in the sunshine, to experiencing happiness instead of being trained for a lifetime of pursuing happiness. It is time to let children be children again.” L. R. Knost
In this modern world, children are at risk of losing their ability to think creatively. Instead of looking internally to spark their own excitement, they often seek stimulation from toys designed by manufacturers who believe they know best. Toys that are labelled to promote Early Childhood development? Why the chuff does a baby need to learn ABC,123?
See image below.
Have you ever noticed how a child seems mesmerised by a flashing, beeping, moving electronic toy? Look carefully; notice how the toy is playing MORE than the child! Children are becoming PASSIVE, allowing the toy to entertain them. Baby gyms also do the same, dangling stuff above a babies head, entertaining them! Instead let’s allow babies to develop that intrinsic curiosity, looking at the shadows on the wall, curious to find their hands or feet, instead of having us the adults provide and entertain the babies.
There’s a great quote that says play is fuelled by imagination, not batteries. This is why at The Curiosity Approach, we help parents, carers, and early childhood educators to rescue childhoods, save play, and offer children random stuff to explore. We have lots of information on loose parts and open-ended materials. We have an app filled with ways to put the play back into children’s lives.
Loose parts are open ended materials that can be used in various ways during play and creativity. They can include items like sticks, stones, cardboard boxes, fabric scraps, and more. Because they are not made for a specific purpose, children can manipulate, combine, and transform them in endless ways, fostering imagination and problem-solving skills.
Let’s recognise that the most profound joy comes from the simple pleasures of play like an empty cardboard box (as mentioned above) that offers endless possibilities. Children are in charge of their own ideas, their own learning, and their imagination provides endless opportunities for deep, sustained play!
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination!” Albert Einstein
This is why at The Curiosity Approach we passionately advocate for less plastic and more open-ended resources in our children’s play. They need time, space, and opportunities to be bored, to think, explore, tinker, and create. To be CURIOUS Learners, and intrinsic desire to find out more.
Research supports this, indicating that free play is essential for healthy brain development (source: American Academy of Pediatrics). When children engage with recycled materials and loose parts, they become creators, not mere consumers. Isn’t this what we want and need in the world?
We must recognise that every child is unique and incredible, but sadly in today’s society, we seem to view children as empty vessels that we must fill with facts and information, pushing them quickly through their childhoods in order for them to achieve and get ahead quicker, faster, and sooner! WHY?
Childhood is an ever decreasing short, fleeting moment in time. Yet childhood IS THE MOST IMPORTANT stage in a human's life; in childhood, we lay the foundations for all future learning. Ninety percent of a child’s brain is developed before the age of five!
A NASA study reveals that while children are born with genius-level creativity, only 2% retain that status by adulthood (source: NASA). This decline is shocking, alarming, and reiterates the urgent need for change—transforming how we are dumbing down children and instead providing them with opportunities to be curious investigators and inquisitive explorers. Children who are ACTIVE learners!
Let’s empower our children to reclaim their play. By providing them with time, space, and open-ended resources, we can nurture their innate curiosity and creativity.
At The Curiosity Approach®, we look to inspire others to recognise that we CAN save childhood from the confines of plastic, paraphernalia and screens, allowing our children to flourish, grow and develop. There’s no need to provide toys to ‘entertain’ children, lets allow children the time, space and freedom to play. Preparing them for a future where they CAN BE CREATORS AND NOT CONSUMERS!
Join us on this mission to champion play that celebrates creativity and innovation. Let’s SAVE CHILDHOODS!
Work in Early Years? Want help? We have an online accreditation pathway that guides you to make transformative change. Click the link below for details.
References:
National Wildlife Federation. Connecting today’s kids with nature.
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2007) "The Importance of Play in Promoting Healthy Child Development and Maintaining Strong Parent-Child Bonds
NASA. (1990). "A Study of Creativity in Childhood."
How School Kills Wonder: NASA's Forgotten 1968 Study on Education's Silent War Against Creative Genius
Thank you for reading Stephanie Bennett Co Founder of The Curiosity Approach
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