Sylvanian Families as a form of Relaxation Therapy
Sylvanian Families, to many people, are simply a delightful, wholesome toy which children love to play with. To others, Sylvanian Families are much more than a toy – they’re a hobby, which is a form of relaxation for many collectors.
Relaxation is a natural way to help with stress relief, and reduces the effects of stress on your mind body, as well as other related health benefits. So, yes, we can say Sylvanian Families are good for you!
“For some people a collection is a stress release. The very act of organising, cataloguing and ordering a collection is soothing and can decrease stress. Often Sylvanian Families collectors have expressed their collection is an emotional outlet for them. For many Adult Collectors it's not about the value of the collection, but more of an emotional connection with what they collect. For some there’s a certain security in collecting and they consider their collection a “safe place”. It can be a relaxation, can ease anxiety, or simply be a hobby to withdraw to and forget the pressures of life.
The idyllic make-believe land of Sylvania, itself, is a calming environment, a place where nothing bad ever happens, where everyone cares about nature and helping out family and friends wherever they can. There's a policeman Sylvanian figure, but there's never any crime in Sylvania, so for many people who have social anxieties, it's the perfect world to escape to for a visit from time to time.
It's long been known that Sylvanian Families are ideal for stimulating imaginative role-play in children. In fact, Sylvanian Families have been inspiring children at play for over 30 years now!
The idyllic setting of Sylvania provides plenty of scope for individual creativity and endless imaginary play. Each Sylvanian animal family comes with their own biography highlighting each family members interests, talents and personality and children can enhance their character's original stories or create their own.
We know only too well that many children prefer screen time as their favourite outlet these days, so it’s very refreshing to see children choosing to play their Sylvanian imaginary games over technology. I smile every time I walk into a room and see my daughter and son in the middle of some new adventure in Sylvania, eavesdropping for a few minutes on the character's scintillating conversations. It’s great to see them developing their social skills, learning to take turns, sharing and creating situations which they have to respond to, whether they’re Olive Bearbury the Bus conductor, or the perennial favourite naughty fox schoolboy, Buster Slydale!
Last year a Mum from Melbourne was wanting to purchase a Sylvanian Families Country Hospital set, which comes with an adorable tiny wheelchair, IV tube on a stand, stethoscope, handheld blood pressure cuff set and many other accessories. Her daughter was scheduled for heart surgery and she wanted to involve her in Sylvanian Families hospital role play games to help prepare her daughter for the operation and ease anxiety.
Often events can happen to disrupt a child's life and cause stress, such as moving to a new school which can be a difficult time for a young child. Creative role play is an effective way to make your child feel more comfortable and prepared for life events in a safe way. It encourages a feeling of self-worth emotionally and socially, by giving a child sense of his or her own abilities and helping them to feel good about themselves.
There are Sylvanian Families sets that cover nearly every aspect of real life: School, Hospital, the Dentist, Doctors and Nurses, New Baby Arrivals sets, Bus Conductor and School Buses, even the School Lollipop man, for teaching safety in crossing roads.
For more tips on how to beat stress naturally, you might like to read Ally Feiam's article "Feel Blessed not Stressed"
https://www.mydeal.com.au/blog/post/feel-blessed-not-stressed