Why don't you give activity instructions?

It's a question I'm asked quite often.

One of the beliefs at the heart of Storytime Scarves is that children are the experts in their own play.

Sometimes, when we offer lots of activity ideas or step-by-step instructions, we unintentionally leave a little less room for children's own ideas to emerge. That doesn't mean activities are wrong; they can be wonderful. It's simply that I love leaving space for children to surprise us.

I've often noticed that when adults step back, children step forward. The stories they create are often richer, funnier and more imaginative than anything I could have planned myself.

That's why our scarves are designed as open-ended invitations rather than resources with a single purpose. One child may see an ocean, another a dragon's cave, another a cosy reading den. The scarf doesn't decide the story. The child does.

For me, that's where the magic of play really begins, not when adults have all the answers, but when children realise their own ideas matter.

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About Heidi

Hi, I'm Heidi, founder of Storytime Scarves. I'm a Tiney Ofsted-registered childminder, graded Outstanding, and a parent of two. Over the past decade, through raising my own children and working as a childminder, I've developed a deep interest in child-led play, storytelling, belonging and the small moments that help children feel seen. Ask Heidi is where I share the questions I'm asked most often, along with the observations that continue to shape my practice.