Screen-Free Play Made Simple: The All-In-One Parent’s Handbook Featuring Mentari Toys

Parents everywhere are wondering the same thing. How can I keep my child happily engaged and learning without handing over a screen For many families the answer is a return to simple materials that invite open ended play. That is exactly where Mentari Toys shine.

This comprehensive guide to screen-free play with Mentari Toys is organized into key sections for easy reading. Click below to skip to the parts most useful for your family

• What the Science Says About Screens
• Why Pretend Play is a Superpower
• Why Simple Wooden Toys Work Better
• Why Mentari Toys Make Screen-Free Play Easy
• A Simple Blueprint for a Screen-Free Play Space
• Mentari Favorites That Build Real Skills
• Five Screen Swaps Families Love
• Choosing the Right Mentari Set by Age
• Tips for Play That Packs Learning
• Sustainability and Safety
• Weekly Rotation Model
• Final Thought

What the Science Says About Screens

Screens can be helpful when they are thoughtful, limited, and watched with a parent. But for babies and preschoolers most leading pediatric groups advise families to keep screen exposure very low and to fill the day with movement, sleep, quiet reading, and imaginative play. That is because young brains wire through back and forth interaction with people and through active play in the real world.
A healthy routine for little ones has plenty of time for sleep and physical play. It also has protected time for parent child connection. When you design your family routine with these priorities you will quickly see that simple toys become essential tools. They get children moving, talking, sorting, building, and imagining. They help you replace passive time in front of a screen with active time that grows real skills.

Why Pretend Play is a Superpower

Pretend play is the moment your toddler pours tea for a doll or your preschooler runs a grocery stand. These small stories do big work for development. Children practice turn taking and flexible thinking. They exercise self control as they follow the rules of their own game. They stretch language as they narrate what characters need and feel. They experiment with math and measurement as they sort, count, and share. Most of all, pretend play gives children safe room to process the world around them.
When you pair pretend themes with open ended pieces you give your child many ways in. There is no single right way to play with a wooden cash register or a set of food crates. A toddler might line up pieces by color while a four year old builds a cafe. The same set grows with your child and supports fresh skills over many months.

Why Simple Wooden Toys Work Better

When a toy does all the talking and moving the child does less. Simple materials ask the child to supply the story, the sounds, and the action. This is why many speech and occupational therapists reach for wood blocks and pretend food when they want to build language and fine motor skills. Children focus better and talk more when the toy is quiet and open ended.
Wooden toys also feel good in small hands. The gentle weight and the smooth finish invite grasping, stacking, and careful placement. Those small actions build hand strength, finger isolation, and the pinch and release pattern that later support pencil grip and cutting skills.

Why Mentari Toys Make Screen-Free Play Easy

Mentari is a collection created with long lasting materials, practical designs, and beautiful styling that looks at home in any room. Sets are crafted from reclaimed rubber wood and finished with child safe paints. Pieces are sized for easy grasping and sturdy enough for daily play. Most of all, the design language supports open ended storytelling which keeps children coming back for more.
Mentari sets also make it simple to create a themed play corner that you can rotate through the week. A small shelf and a play mat are enough. Keep only a few pieces out at one time. When interest dips, swap in a new set. This quiet rotation keeps play fresh without adding screens.

A Simple Blueprint for a Screen-Free Play Space

• Display three to five toys at a time. Choose one building set, one pretend set, one puzzle or game, and one cozy book basket.
• Keep parts visible. Trays and shallow baskets help children see the choices and invite cleanup.
• Add a small child sized table or a play mat if you have the room. A defined surface helps children focus.
• Rotate weekly. Store the rest out of sight and swap when interest fades.
• Keep it warm and welcoming. A soft rug and a simple plant go a long way.

Mentari Favorites That Build Real Skills

Below we group best loved Mentari sets by the skills they invite. Mix and match across groups to suit your child.

Language and Social Confidence

Children learn the language of buying and selling, practice turn taking, and experiment with number words as they weigh and count. Add a small basket and scraps of paper for receipts and you will hear rich conversation.

Market Day Necessities, Shop Keeper Stand, Barista Set, Honeybunch Doll Family.

Problem Solving and Early Math

Town Puzzle and matching games ask children to scan for shapes and features and to keep track of pieces. That work builds visual discrimination and attention which support reading later on. Memory style games invite working memory practice which is a core part of executive function.
Block style builds and train sets are classics for a reason. Children plan, build, notice balance, and revise their design. You will see counting, pattern making, and spatial reasoning emerge without a worksheet in sight.

Town Puzzle, memory games, block builds, and train sets.

Fine Motor Strength

Fishing Game uses a small magnet and a rod which are perfect for wrist control, tracking, and the pinch and release pattern. You can turn it into a sorting game by asking your child to land fish by color or by patterns.
Dollhouse furniture bundles invite careful placement and small hand work. Children pick up tiny cups, place pillows, and open doors. These actions strengthen fingers for future writing and buttoning.
Play food crates invite cutting, peeling, and gentle placement on plates. Add child safe tongs to increase the challenge for three and four year olds.

Fishing Game, dollhouse furniture, and play food.

Emotional Regulation

Open ended sets let children practice starting a play idea and staying with it. The child decides what to build or serve. That freedom helps kids stick with a project for longer as they grow. When emotions run high, a familiar cafe or dollhouse scene gives a safe space to sort feelings and find words.

Clover dollhouse, and play kitchen

Five Screen Swaps Families Love

When you feel the urge to hand over a device try one of these quick swaps. Place a small basket with two or three pieces in an easy to reach spot beside your sofa or in the kitchen.

1.     Morning coffee time. Invite your child to run the cafe while you sip a real cup. Say I would love a warm cappuccino and a blueberry muffin. How much do I owe today. You will spark counting and conversation without any prep.

2.     Dinner prep hour. Set up Market Day on the floor while you cook. Ask for two red apples and one lemon. Children sort and count while you get dinner on the table.

3.     After nap reset. Place a dollhouse family in a sunny spot with a small blanket. A simple picnic scene invites gentle play that bridges sleep and the rest of the day.

4.     Rainy afternoon. Bring out a puzzle and a tea party. Make it cozy with a blanket and soft music. Screens fade when the setup feels special.

5.     Before bed wind down. Replace the last show with quiet pretend play, a short story, and a hug. Children sleep better when the hour before bed is calm and screen free.

Choosing the Right Mentari Set by Age

Infants six to twelve months. Specifically designed to be safe, Mentari has a specific all-in-one set is perfectly designed for babies aged6 to 12 months, offering a thoughtfully curated mix of toys that nurture tummy time, fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and teething relief.

Toddlers up to two years. Choose sturdy sets with large pieces and simple actions. Suggestions include the Fishing Game, play food crates, and simple stacking or shape matching sets. Look for pieces that invite grasping, placing, and simple pretend stories like a cup and a spoon.

Ages two to three. Add sets that encourage naming, sorting, and simple role play. Barista Set, Market Day pieces, and a small open front dollhouse are perfect. Keep puzzles to five to ten pieces and celebrate completion rather than speed.

Ages three to four and beyond. Offer more complex pretend stories and early game rules. Add a larger dollhouse, pairing dolls with furniture bundles for upstairs and downstairs. Mix in memory or matching games and early board games that require taking turns and following simple rules. Trains and simple building kits add planning and revision.

Infants 6 to 12 months. 6 Months Garden Playtime Set
Toddlers: Fishing Game, play food crates, stacking toys.
Ages 2–3: Barista Set, Market Day, simple dollhouse.
Ages 3–4+: Larger dollhouse with furniture, memory games, trains.

Tips for Play That Packs Learning

• Narrate and follow. Describe what your child is doing and add one new word. If your child says Tea you might say Yes a warm cup of tea. Would you like to pour milk or honey
• Use real life scripts. Bring a small tote to the pretend store and write a list together. Keep prices simple and let your child count the coins.
• Invite cleanup as part of play. Add trays and small bowls so children can sort parts. Many children love the feeling of putting things back where they belong.
• Rotate often. Put away a set before boredom sets in. When the set comes back it will feel new.
• Keep screens completely out of reach during play. Store phones in a drawer, because even silent notifications can distract adults and interrupt the back-and-forth interaction children rely on.

Sustainability and Safety

Mentari pieces are made from reclaimed rubber wood which gives a second life to trees from the latex industry. This keeps toys sturdy and smooth while supporting a lighter footprint in the home. Finishes are child safe and easy to clean. Wood is naturally durable and ages with character. If a piece gets scuffed a quick wipe keeps it looking loved and ready for more stories.

Weekly Rotation Model

Here is an easy routine you can follow. It all tucks neatly away in a corner.

Week One: Dollhouse with family, Market Day bundle, Fishing Game, puzzle.
Week Two: Barista Set, train set, memory game, themed book basket.

Final Thought

You do not need more screens to keep childhood joyful. A few beautiful tools like Mentari Toys build language, self-control, motor skills, and bonds that last a lifetime.

References

• AlTerra Retail / Mentari Toy Pages: Product collections, age recommendations, sustainability details, and brand story. alterraretail.com
• HealthyChildren.org (AAP): Screen time recommendations, 5 C’s parental guidance, and play-based learning. healthychildren.org
• World Health Organization: Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep for children under 5. who.int
• Harvard Center on Child Development: Serve-and-return interactions and executive function development through play. harvard.edu, youtube.com
• Child Mind Institute: Research on pretend play, executive function, and social-emotional skill development. childmind.org
• Peer-Reviewed Research: Studies on open-ended play, block and puzzle activities, and motor skill development. Sources include: NCBI, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, NIH, FAU, ED.gov.
• Tender Leaf & Retail Partnerships: Mentari’s ethical production and sustainable design principles. threadbeardesign.co.uk
• SVLK / Indonesian Timber Legality: Certification and legality of reclaimed rubberwood. mentari.toys, sciencedirect.com, woodrisk.org
• Additional Health & Screen-Time Guidance: Mayo Clinic, AOA, Health.gov, EdWeek.org, CHOC.org, livenowfox.com.
• Visual & Social Media Examples: Instagram and YouTube content illustrating play interactions and toy usage.