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You may have heard the term open-ended play, but do you really know what it means? The term refers to any play activity where the toys used are free of emotional or story-line prompts, leaving the child free to decide what direction the play will take. Take for example, a plain white bedsheet. Ten separate children could be given this as their only toy, and you can almost be guaranteed that they will all make it into something wonderfully imaginative. A wedding dress? An alien super-blob that is eating them up? The roof of an awesome cushion fort? A chariot, riding through the house with a sibling onboard. Really, the possibilities are endless. But why is this so important? Many studies have shown that this type of play teaches children many things. Imaginative storytelling, improvisation, social co-operation, role-play, testing out ideas, the feeling that an idea can fail, persistence, acceptance of other peoples ideas...the list goes on. And one of the best things about this form of play is that it costs very little. Why not try this out at home? You can use a pot from the kitchen, a pillow, even a piece of furniture. You might need to ask questions of your child to get them thinking, but once they get started they will want to take you on the most magical exotic journey you will ever experience. And there is no reason not to take a tea pot with you, so you can have a nice cuppa on the way.