Recreation Guy

The other day I responded to a posting on the YMCA forums. The post asked for suggestions of tot programs other than sports. I responded with a few thoughts and wanted to share one of them with you.

If you’re doing tot programs you ‘re probably doing some Mommy and Me classes, tot sports classes and maybe an open gym type of thing with a bunch of mats and tumbling equipment in a room. Try something new…

Imagination Station is a program where each week (I’m assuming that your tot programs meet once per week) the instructor brings a different set of “equipment”. The tots play with the “equipment” in a prescribed way. Examples are below. If possible, decorate the entrance of the room like a train station. Welcome everyone properly to Imagination Station.

• Blankets and Chairs – As a kid one of my favorite things to do was build a living room fort using a large blanket and three or four chairs. Using the chairs at your facility the tots are challenged to make forts or tents. Afterward they can hide and play in them. They can connect them and make a tunnel of forts. Let them use their imagination.
• Hot Wheels and Legos or blocks – Challenge the tots to build roads for the cars. They can build garages and ramps as well. By the way, girls enjoy playing with cars too.
• Bring Your Teddy Bear Day – The instructor sets up tables and chairs for tea parties, large Tonka trucks, bear costumes, small beds, etc. The instructor could also read Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
• Clothes and Funny Hats – Even as adults we like to dress up and be someone else. Most of us like Halloween for that very reason. Go to the thrift shop or check Craigslist for clothes, and order some fun hats from a party company. Let the kids play dress up. Have a fashion show.
• Lincoln Logs, Kinex, Legos – Any of these sets of toys will allow the tots to use their imagination to build and create.
• Dolls, action figures, small plastic army men or cowboys and Indians – The instructor can make a mountain from a blanket or two, some forts from the Lincoln Logs, put out an old doll house or two from a thrift shop, etc. so the kids can play with either dolls and action figures you supply the class or ones that the tots bring themselves.
• Puppets – Kids love puppets, both finger puppets and hand puppets. Get both, and have them put on a puppet show.
• Music – Everyone loves moving to music, especially kids. The instructor plays music and leads games like freeze dance. Give them time just to listen to the music and move around. At some point the instructor can bring out instruments as well.
• Paper and Paint, Markers, Crayons – Let the kids draw anything they want. The instructor can give them ideas and show them some new art techniques (like with sponges or something).
• Clay – Let the kids create with modeling clay. Have an art show at the end where the tots show off their creations.

The idea of Imagination Station is that the tots are allowed to be creative. You don’t want to put too many limitations on them or have too many instructions. Allow the kids to “color outside of the lines”. Kids should grow up to be adults with creative minds and imagination.