February 22, 2008

Playsilks for Children: Not just a simple piece of cloth.

Do you remember being a child and running free in a field with the wind all around you? Think about being on a swing and feeling the wind rush past your face as you pump to get as high as you can. The urge to run, skip, hop, and stand still in the breeze is inherent to a child. You might say it’s their job to be curious about the world and find joy in experiencing it. Our job’s as parents, educators, and care givers is to support that desire and to encourage it. It is our job to instill a sense of wonder so that further development can take place. Growth is then stimulated in terms of gross motor (physical), emotional, intellectual and spiritual development.

Playsilks are a simple piece of cloth to adults. Something that at first glance is pretty but not as flashy as a video game or other electronic device. I would encourage every family with pre-school and/or young school age children to own a playsilk for their toy box/dress-up area. Playsilks are colorful, soft to the touch and are light as air as you float and soar like a butterfly or eagle. Stimulating a child’s visual and tactile senses is a positive and beneficial thing to do as a parent. Playsilks also offer a world of creative opportunity. The cape, wings, veil, skirt, shawl, or other object the silk transforms into is the basic activity you want to happen. You want your child to take a simple object and project a world of fantasy onto it in order that they may rework situations that brought them conflict or anxiety. You want your child to grow those neuronal pathways in their brains and to develop the ability to problem solve as they interact with the outside world.

Yes, Playsilks might be only simple cloth…but to a child it’s a wonderful adventure to maturity. Bring home a playsilk for your child today!

I am the founding member of the Street Team for mothers with small children at home called EtsyMom Search EtsyMom at Etsy whenever you can, Thank you.

I earned my Master of Science in Art Therapy at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfok, VA
I have worked with children, adolescents, adults and geriatrics in the field of Art Therapy. I am also a mother of 3 small children.

1 comment:

  1. I remember when my youngest was a baby, she liked the blankets with the silk ribbon around it. She used to rub it against her face to fall asleep!

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