Letting Go of the Guidebook: How My Daughter Found Her Creative Voice

When we think of play, it’s easy to picture structured activities: coloring inside the lines, building the perfect Lego set, following a step-by-step craft tutorial. These activities can certainly be fun and rewarding — but what happens when we remove the instructions?

At Crazy Little Books, we believe that’s where the real magic begins.

A Core Memory: From Lego Lover to Play Advocate

As a child, I was obsessed with Legos. I would spend hours building entire worlds, stories, and creatures — no guide, no structure, just pure imagination. It was one of the ways I learned to think creatively, problem-solve, and express myself without words.

So naturally, when my daughter turned five, I couldn’t wait to share this love with her.

She had already been playing with Duplos for a while, so it felt like a natural next step. But to my surprise, the Lego aisle was packed with something very different than I remembered: manual-based, theme-driven sets. Think castles, cars, and characters — all with thick instruction booklets and precise pieces.

We bought a few, of course. She dove right in and followed the steps perfectly.

But when we encouraged her to build something on her own — no instructions, just creativity — she froze. She wanted her creation to look just like the official ones. Without a manual to follow, she felt lost. Frustrated.

And that’s when we decided to change our approach.

The Turning Point: A Whale, a Pig, and a Lion

Instead of pushing her to "figure it out," my husband sat down with her and started building animals using colors and shapes they already had. First, he made an orca.

Something clicked.

In seconds, she built a pig. Then a lion. Then another, and another. The shapes weren’t always perfect, but the essence was there — and more importantly, so was her pride.

That day, she rediscovered what it meant to play freely. She wasn’t trying to copy a model — she was inventing her own.

Now, she loves both: the structured sets and her own animal creations. She switches between guided building and wild imagination effortlessly. And as a parent, I couldn’t be more proud — not because she followed a booklet, but because she’s learning that her ideas are valid, creative, and worthy.

Why Child-Led Play Matters

This experience reminded me of something I deeply believe:
✨ Imagination is a skill — and like any skill, it needs space to grow.

Child-led play helps children:

• Develop problem-solving abilities
• Build confidence in their ideas
• Strengthen emotional regulation
• Explore identity, storytelling, and roleplay
• Learn that failure isn’t failure — it’s experimentation

When we step back and let them lead, we allow them to build something far more valuable than a toy: a sense of self.