What parents can do to support play
Play develops the skills that form the foundation of deep learning (as opposed to surface learning). When you support play-time, you are handing your child nature’s most effective tool for human development.
There are some simple and effective things we can do to support play.
Allow time for authentic, self-directed play.
Prioritise play time: Avoid over-scheduling your child. Limit time spent in adult-organized activity.
Encourage outdoor nature play: Role model "outdoorsy-ness" and love of nature. Read about or tell stories of play from your own childhood.
Limit or eliminate screen time: Reducing children’s dependency on screen will allow their natural creativity to blossom.
Do not try to structure or lead the play: When you join your children in play, follow their lead and let them make independent choices and decisions.
Boredom promotes creativity: Don’t feel compelled to fill children’s time with activities or adult-supervised play, even when they complain of boredom.
Don’t make play about goals and learning: Let them enjoy it for its own sake and the learning will happen naturally.
Allow for messy play and risky play: Children are naturally good at assessing risk, caution them but don’t scaremonger or helicopter.
Provide supporting resources and environment
Choose open ended material over single function close ended toys: Toys that can be used in multiple ways to spark children’s imaginations and can be enjoyed at more than one age or level of development.
Provide access to a safe and child-centered play area: If indoors, ensure the area is childproof, clean and filled with natural light. If outdoors, ensure children know the boundaries of their space and basic safety rules.
Avoid over-stimulation: Too many toys hamper play. Display a few toys and resources; putting others away. Rotate the toys regularly.
Encourage ownership over the space: Allow children to leave their setup and constructions up for a while so that they can come back and engage with their creations. Ensure the child in involved in clearing up and organising the space.
Ensure accessibility for the child: Placing the toys and resources within the child's view and reach enables them to make their own choices and help themselves to what they need. This fosters independence and agency.
Play is essential and formative for children. It contributes to their timely and essential development. As parents, we play a crucial role in including and ensuring play in our children's lives.
Read this for 3 key reasons why play is essential for the development of your child.
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