Playing alone is as important to a child as having fun with his parents or other friends. He learns to become independent, he stimulates his creativity and imagination and discovers the freedom to decide things for himself: how to play, with what and for how long. But some of them find it difficult to play alone. To help them, let’s start by playing.

Playing alone is not necessarily natural for some children. When some can spend hours alone in their rooms, others are bored and going around in circles at home. However, boredom is not necessarily a bad thing. It allows the child to learn to play without a partner and to develop his autonomy. It’s a great tool to force them to listen to themselves and use their creativity.

To fill his solitude, the child develops his own imaginary world and calls on his personal resources. He takes the time to discover his environment and to dream, two key stages in his learning.

If your child is having difficulty playing without you or their playmates, don’t scold them or send them to their bedroom. Start by accompanying him by setting up activities in the same room as you. By commenting on his actions, he will feel understood and encouraged to continue his game.

You can also participate in its activities. Paradoxically, it is by playing with him that you teach him to do it alone afterwards. So start the game with him, help him and encourage him, then walk away while staying in the same room. You will then be able to talk to him and comment on his actions in a positive way to make him gain self-confidence: “your drawing is superb, daddy will love it!” “Or” your construction is very beautiful, all that’s missing is the roof and you will be done “, and so on.

Finally, don’t hesitate to suggest that she do an activity for a family member. Drawing, painting, DIY, everything is good to make him want to please a loved one. His motivation will be even greater and his self-confidence will be strengthened.

To help him learn the game and more particularly the fact of playing alone, it is important to encourage his initiatives and create favorable moments. For example, you can plan “free” times in a day. By not overloading his schedule with a whole lot of activities (sport, music, language lessons, etc.), and by offering him a few moments of freedom, the child develops his spontaneity and learns to play alone.

Likewise, if he is bored, do not rush to occupy him. Let him take initiatives and create a game that is fun and similar to him. Encourage him or offer him several alternatives and let him choose the one that speaks to him the most.

If he seems lost and has no idea what to play, direct him to activities and toys he has. By asking him open-ended questions and piquing his interest, he will be more confident and interested in his own affairs. By asking him “what is your favorite toy?” Ah yes, show it to me then. », The child will then be tempted to grab it, and once in hand, to play with it.

Finally, to promote play, it is better to limit the number of toys. Another point that may seem contradictory, but for the solo game to work and last more than a few minutes, it is better not to multiply the different objects. Most often, it is enough for the child to provide himself with two or three toys to invent a story and build a whole game around him. Surrounding him with a multitude of things, his attention does not stay fixed and his feeling of boredom resurfaces in no time. Likewise, remember to store and display and carry all his toys, to encourage him to help himself and create his little imaginary universe.

Dreaming and being bored are a big part of your child’s development, so don’t try to keep them busy and fill their schedule. To help him play on his own and encourage his creativity, give him freedom every day.