How to use a Sarah’s Silks Playsilk

Sarah’s Silks playsilks were created to promote imagination and encourage the endless possibilities of open-ended play. The stunning colours and textures of the natural fibres of these eco-friendly toys stimulate the magic and creativity that exists in young children – and some adults too.

Inspired to create Sarah’s Silks while raising her 3 sons with imagination play during their Waldorf education, Sarah Lee founded Sarah’s Silks over 27 years ago and the California based brand has been making beautiful and high-quality fabric toys ever since. The Sarah’s Silks playsilks come in three sizes: mini (53 x 53cm), regular (90 x 90cm) and giant (275 x 90cm) and in a dazzling variety of solid colours and patterns such as enchanted, earth and beautifully illustrated representing specific themes.

A staple of Waldorf fantasy play, they offer so many possibilities for open-ended play that are only limited by the imagination. Read on for our top ten suggestions of how children, and grown-ups, can use the playsilks to create adventures galore!

Dressing up 

This is an obvious choice but a really popular one. From tying up a playsilk around the neck and using it as a cape in a royal kingdom, acting out the role of a brave knight, to wearing a long train for a queen or a bride to creating wings to take on the role of a fairy or take flight like a beautiful butterfly.  Roleplay offers so many possibilities for fun and exploration.

Waving a flag

Attach a playsilk to a pole and you have a flag! Run around the garden, park or beach and watch it glide through the wind and almost fly.

Use as a carrier

Children love to pretend to be parents and the Sarah’s Silks playsilks lend themselves well to creating a carrier using a few strategically placed knots. You can almost instantly create a baby carrier for dolls or cuddly toys and take them everywhere.

Small world and pretend play

There are so many different colours and sizes available in the playsilks range and each colour can symbolise certain things. Lay them down to form the basis for a small world adventure using blue for the water or sky, green for the forest or woodland, yellow for the desert and rainbow for a unicorn adventure.

Set up a camp

By placing a few chairs together and using the wooden clips, a camp is instantly created with a playsilk. Add in some dolls and toys and a whole camping experience is created. Add in a few cushions and bedding and a comfortable over night camp can be enjoyed for even longer. An outdoor tent is instantly created by gathering branches together and draping a giant playsilk over the structure!

Blindfold

Many traditional party games like blind man’s bluff, pin the tail on the donkey or hide and seek have always required the ‘it’ person to wear a blindfold. We all know that a child cannot always be trusted to keep their eyes closed for the full duration, so the smaller silks work well as they can be rolled and tied easily, and they are soft and comfortable.

Go for a picnic

Lay a large silk on the ground to create a picnic blanket then invite friends, dolls or cuddly toys over to enjoy homemade cake, sandwiches and juice on a beautiful sunny or a cold and rainy day.

Use as a blanket 

Add a colourful layer of warmth to sleeping bunnies or snoring teddies. Read them a bedtime story, kiss them good night and tuck them up tight.

The floor is lava

A popular game where you must get from one side of a room to the other without standing on the floor because the floor is ‘hot’ and covered in lava! If there are no chairs or objects to climb on, use a silk to create an imaginary tree, a ladder or a rope to escape elimination.

An alternative to wrapping paper

The mini and regular playsilks make a great eco and sustainable alternative to paper wrapping paper. There is no throw-away packaging or waste to go in landfills plus it makes a gift even more thoughtful and purposeful.

Cloth wrapping has been used in traditional cultures for over 1,200 years and is still used today by many wise parents. Furoshiki is the ancient art of cloth wrapping from Japan which is elegant, practical and eco-friendly. In Korea it’s called Bojagi and is often silk or hemp patchwork cloth.

These are just a few suggestions that our children like to do in their imaginative open-ended play using items from the Sarah’s Silks range. We hope your children enjoy them, and if you come up with any new ideas, we’d love to hear them. 

Happy playing!