IKEA IDEAS Festival is set to break down the barriers to play
It’s time to ditch the routines, put down the responsibilities and stop being serious for a weekend. Head down to IKEA Cardiff on 7-8 November for the IDEAS Festival and learn how to make play a part of your everyday. The IDEAS Festival will be packed to the brim with fun activities and games that will help you rediscover your inner child. Not only this but there will be heaps of expert advice on how you can make your home the ultimate playground, as well as workshops and free tastings that will leave you feeling inspired.
There will be a number of activities for kids and adults, from den building competitions to music making workshops and nostalgia pop up stations, all of which will showcase just how easy it is to bring play to life. If that wasn’t enough then there will be free food sampling and gingerbread decorating to get stuck into. To top it all off, there will be improvised theatre sketches popping up around the store, so keep a look out and be ready to get involved.
The inspiration behind the IDEAS Festival comes from the ‘Play Report’, the world’s largest study of play. The research commissioned by IKEA was undertaken by psychologists and revealed that the idea of play and imagination is considered to just be an element of our childhood. Attitude is one of the biggest obstacles that prevents adults from embracing play, as many adults haven’t lost the need to play, but the desire to play. There is a societal expectation for all grown-ups to be serious. IKEA wants to challenge this attitude and teach people how to play again by getting back in touch with their inner child, the IDEAS Festival aims to encourage adventure and imagination in all.
Mike Hawkins, Manager at IKEA Cardiff explains: “At IKEA we know that life can all too often be serious and regulated, with time, space and attitude all having a huge impact on our ability to play. We want to use the IDEAS Festival to show families how they can break down these barriers and make play a part of their every day! So if you want to have fun, feel inspired and learn some invaluable home expertise, then join us for this unmissable weekend at IKEA Cardiff.”
All IKEA FAMILY members will have access to a whole host of special events and offers. If you’d like to sign up or find out more, then visit www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/ikea-family.
For more information about the Ideas Festival, visit www.ikea.com/gb/en/store/cardiff to find out about the workshops happening at your local store. Alternatively, for helpful tips and inspirational ideas or more information about IKEA then visit www.ikea.co.uk.
IKEA’s tops tips for embracing play
IKEA’s research unlocked a number of insights into how people feel about play. For example, the word ‘play’ is almost always synonymous with childhood; messing around on swings, jumping in puddles, a game of hide and seek.
While it is quite commonly known that playing is vital for a child’s learning and development, it is not as widely known that it is also beneficial to adults. In fact it is quite crucial to our happiness. Finding time to play can increase concentration, creativity and even help build relationships.
With this in mind IKEA has developed its six top tips for rediscovering the power of play, why not have a go and unleash your inner child!
- Think inside the box. It is a common misconception that space is needed to play, but the only thing that is limiting is a lack of imagination, not lack of space! Board games and crafts take a limited amount of space and any room in the house can easily become a playground. How about den building in the living room? Role play in the kitchen?
- Play is cheap! You don’t have to rely on toys to play. That pillow is a stepping stone in a sea of lava! That old coat in the cupboard is a witch’s cape! Or why not try a word game or making your own game with paper and pens?
- Ditch the digital. A lot of play has become focussed around screens, we rely heavily on computers and tablets to provide entertainment. While they are great, they can stifle the imagination. Make time every week to put the technology away and play without it. Why not join the adult colouring craze and pick up a colouring book next time you are in IKEA?
- Get moving. Remember how active you were as a child? Being physically active as a grown up is generally only associated with diets and fitness. While it’s obviously important to keep healthy, remember the fun that can be had from having a crazy 10 minutes dancing around the kitchen or running for no reason, think Phoebe from Friends.
- Laughter is the best medicine. Sometimes all you need to do is something that will make you giggle. Try having a competition to see who can tell the best joke? Have a tickle fight or pull silly faces!
- Don’t over think it. We are born to play, it is not something that you need to be taught. Even if it is buried deep down, the ability to play is in all of us, you just need to let it come out!
