We all know that child-led play is preferable because kids learn more, use their imagination and discover as they explore and invent new ways to use toys or props.
Yesterday, I arrived at Annika’s house and she had just gotten home from a visit to the toy store with Grandma. Annika loves horses and Grandma had bought a little barn set with 2 play horses. Removing the packaging requires some ingenuity as each piece is wired so securely into place. Once I got all the pieces free, Annika started to play with the horses but that wasn’t enough. She suggested we make a zip line from the barn to the cardboard box that had housed her toy! We wove together the wire and made an attachment for the horses and the fun began. I could have used this play scenario for a language lesson but we were working on /r/ so sliding a “horse” from the “barn” for “more” “rides” fit right into my plans to work on /or/ and /ar/ words!
Sometimes it’s nice to get a break from planning therapy and have the child lead the way.
