What Are We Going To Do Today? (NAPSA)—Coming up with original ideas for creative play can be a fun, exciting way to share quality time with your children, especially when the weather takes a turn for the worst. Creative play not only helps children grow andlearn, it is one of the best ways children have to express themselves. “Having time for unstructured, creative play is good for kids—and good for families,” says Nicole Wise, co-author of The Overscheduled Child. “Incorporating creative play activities and toys into your family time helps kids develop all sorts of imaginative skills and also can inspire traditions and memories that will last forever.” Wise says the most rewarding time can still be found in good old play—unstructured and creative—where kids can use their imaginations to make up their very own rules and engage in unlimited, hands-on activities that appeal to them. Parents may have no better friend than Hasbro [NYSE: HAS] to answer the age-old comment, “T'm bored.” Several Hasbro toys are specifically designed to help stimulate a child’s creativity while experiencing the challenge of doing—molding different colors with PLAY-DoH, mixing tasty ingredients in your EASy-BAKE OVEN, tinkering with different TINKERTOY shapes and sizes, choosing the appropriate color pegs for a LITE-BRITE creation. These activities also focus on the end result—completing the task and being able to sample and/or With PLay-Dou, pint-sized Picassos can get the satisfaction of creating unique worksofart. showcase the finished products heightens the experience. Wise adds that creative play encourages family togetherness, which is tremendously important to a child’s development. It also teaches important life skills— giving children practice at problem solving, building confidence and helping them achieve a sense of pride in their accomplishments. LITE-BriTE, for example, lets kids demonstrate their brilliance by taking a blank canvas and turning it into a radiant masterpiece. With its unlimited possibilities for creativity, PLAY-DoH allows pint-sized Picassos to create unique works of art—designing whatever their minds can conjure—then start all over from scratch. It is also a great tool for continuing to learn during school break—patience and concentration are vital to the fun. More creative play tips and activity suggestions are available by visiting the Hasbro Web site at www.hasbro.com.
