Hello October!
Crisp days are starting to creep in, pumpkins are popping up everywhere, and Halloween decorations have been purchased and are making their way onto front porches.
Which brings me to a very important question. How many Amazon boxes are currently sitting somewhere in your house?
If your house is anything like mine, or the center, there's probably at least one waiting to make its way to the recycling bin. Before you break it down, I have a suggestion. Give it to your child.
That's it. Just give them the box.
October has always been such a fun month with little ones. The costumes come out, imaginations get bigger, and for a few weeks we give children permission to become absolutely anything they want to be.
A firefighter. A princess. A dinosaur. A superhero. Or some character we've never heard of but apparently should know everything about. But the funny thing about children is that they don't need Halloween, or an expensive costume, to pretend.
Give them an empty cardboard box and just watch. It's a car. Then it's a house. Five minutes later, it's a rocket ship. Turn it upside down and somehow it's now a restaurant. Meanwhile, we probably spent $49.99 on the toy that came inside the box, and they're completely ignoring it.
I remember this with my own girls. You could buy all the toys in the world, and somehow the simplest things could keep them entertained the longest.
I think sometimes, as adults, we make play much more complicated than it needs to be. We want to help. We want to cut out the windows, draw the wheels, look up an idea on Pinterest, find the perfect supplies, and before we know it, we've turned an Amazon box into a three-day family project.
But what if we don't? What if we just put the box on the floor and ask: "What do you think this could be?"
And then we leave it alone. That's probably the hardest part. Let them figure it out. Let them color outside the lines. Let the wheels be crooked. Let them change their minds halfway through. Let the rocket ship suddenly become a bakery for absolutely no logical reason.
They're little. They're supposed to make things that don't make sense. And with Halloween right around the corner, October feels like the perfect month to let their imaginations run a little wild.
So the next time an Amazon box arrives, don't recycle it right away. Put it on the floor. Maybe add some crayons. And see what happens. And when they invite you into whatever world they've created, join them. Wear the silly costume. Answer the pretend telephone. Drink the imaginary coffee. Eat the plastic pizza and tell them it's delicious.
So this October, say yes to the box. Say yes to pretending. Say yes to getting on the floor for a few minutes and entering their little world.
And if your little one turns a box into something wonderful, we would love to see it. Share it with us on Instagram or Facebook at @worldofwondercenter.
Here's to costumes, imagination, cardboard boxes, and a little Halloween magic.
Happy October!
Diane