I’m always looking for new, educational and fun ways to play together when our grandkids come over for a play date. An educational activity that replaces screen time and encourages actual play. Thankfully, I didn’t have to look too hard!
When our oldest grandson turned 2yrs old, a close friend of ours had given him as a birthday gift, a set of Picasso Tiles. As a new Mimi, I wasn’t familiar with Picasso Tiles but it instantly became an all time favorite for our grandson, Papa and myself.
Picasso Tiles are made of durable clear plastic and come in a variety of squares and triangle-shaped tiles that are held together with magnets. There are so many ways to use the tiles to construct cars, rocket ships, etc. Our grandsons’ favorite is to build a garage for his toy cars and a castle or house for his Paw Patrol toys or his dinosaurs. Trust me, the tiles are a game changer when building garages to put cars into! Fast forward three and a half years later and they have held up great. We’ve also found that bringing the tiles when we go out to eat or when traveling helps in keeping little ones content. With the tiles being magnetic, the refrigerator makes for an easy surface to create on as well (which is helpful when you want to keep a close eye on them).
Learning toys help to reduce time spent with electronic devices such as the TV, smartphones and tablets and their imaginations and creativity expand as they come up with new things to create. This turned out to be such a great gift that will never go out of style with all the grandkids and helps to provide the bonding that takes place as they use their imaginations to build, play and create! And now, one of my favorite gifts to give to all of my sister’s grandchildren is, you guessed it, Picasso Tiles! You’ll definitely want to make this as part of your gift giving.
Play builds a sense of wonder and encourages exploration and what a blessing it is for us as grandmothers to share in our grandchildren’s exciting world of pretend play! And, wouldn’t you agree that grandmothers are always up for a play date?
Let’s cherish this grand season of life!
Hugs,
Mimi Jackie