How to connect to your inner child with Connetix

One of the things that has struck me in my years since becoming a parent, is how hard it has been at times to get on board with imaginary play. I have always considered myself to be playful even as an adult, and as a child loved imaginary play. But turns out, since becoming an adult and a parent, I have become aware my imaginary play is much more inward. I love to create imaginary worlds inside my mind and that's why reading is a joy for me, or design things and I walk to allow myself to daydream.

However, getting down on the floor and playing with my children is one of my priorities. To hear them say 'will you play with me' and not to utter the stock response of 'in a minute' or 'I'm busy' but instead connect over play. Since becoming a parent, I have found ways to help connect with my children and being outside the house, either doing something simple like a bike ride or on an excursion, is my favourite way to connect.

Of course, it isn't always possible to be out and about, and as the children have progressed through babyhood and toddlerhood, I now feel far more comfortable being at home, funnily. Maybe that's post pandemic life and realising I can stay home without going out of our minds. We can bake, paint, colour, play tig, or wrestle, build dens and access the many toys we have.

I have discovered that one of the ways in which I love to play with the children is with open ended toys, particularly if it involves building something. We rotate through lego, duplo, railway track, marble runs and we now have a new favourite to add. Connetix magnetic tiles!

I had heard of these wonder toys as parents up and down the land rave about them, but until we tried them I didn't get the hype. These colourful tiles have magnets safely tucked inside, making them great for little ones too. They offer the most wonderful opportunities to access your imagination and build by either following the instructions, which offers a variety of ideas, or just by being creative and going with the flow. Time just passes freely and easily playing with these toys, which is a sign a good time is being had by all.

The children have been captivated by the Connetix tiles and literally run to them first thing in the morning and spend ages playing with them. As the possibilities are so endless they can make whatever they want; we have had ice cream stalls, castles, churches, forts, houses, dog kennels, stables and a variety of gorgeous shapes of all descriptions.

The colours have allowed us to play with light and create prisms in sunny spots. We even spent a good hour creating colour tunnels and using a camera to record how it looked from the inside, imagining all sorts of wonderful things. It was entirely self directed by the children and creative, utilising a mix of offline wholesome activity with a technological element. We then turned it into a video and wrote about it, which extended the learning outside of the activity.

It is something we have adored doing together and seeing what we come up with. I have marvelled at some of the brilliant ideas each of the children have come up with using them and better yet, it has drawn adults, who normally struggle to play, into the children;s world. Grandad, aunts, uncles and cousins have all had a go at playing with them.

I am convinced we will keep adding to our set so we can keep expanding the play and the bonus is there'll be enough Connetix to avoid the inevitable squabbles about who gets more.

Have you tried playing with Connetix magnetic tiles? What is your favourite thing to play with your children? Drop me comment below, 

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