Play doesn’t have to end with childhood. In fact, as we grow our play evolves. Play includes experimentation, investigation, creativity, problem-solving and so much more. What if we continued to label these as play. Would our perspectives about our own work be turned upside down? If instead of saying I’m off to work could we reframe it. “I’m going to play today and see what I can discover.” This is just one example of how we could rethink our daily experiences.
This quote has me thinking about how we can support play with older children and continue to celebrate the joy and wonder in playful moments. My own two children are older and they still love to play with materials that drive their passions. One is an artist and other a creative thinker and builder. I still encourage them to play, to experiment, to try different ways of using and exploring materials. Hands-on experiences as they have grown older are still important. So whether you play with words as a writer, play with ingredients as a chef, or play with nature as a gardener there are many opportunities to continue to play and celebrate all the benefits that play has to offer.
Read more on the blog! I am sharing one of my number one tips to supporting your child’s play. Visit
It will be especially important to support children’s play at home during these challenging times. When we are uncertain of what school may look like. Offering them opportunities to engage in free open-ended play driven by their interests will be so very important to encourage life-long play.
Children need big blocks of time to play to continue to develop their play ideas and previous thinking. Uninterrupted play allows children to build upon their ideas, work out their thinking, and consolidate learning. Yes, there is so much learning in play! You can support your child's play through the gift of time.
Another tip is to not always clean up children’s creations after playtime is over. What? Are you kidding me? Nope. Just think, if after working on a project for over an hour would you want someone to tell you to take it apart and put it away? Support your child’s efforts and acknowledge their ideas by allowing them to continue to add to this play the following day. We often leave the remnants of children’s play out in the classroom. They tidy any unused pieces/materials around their space where they were playing and sometimes we move their creations or research to a table if it can be moved. They can then return to their play at a later time.
I hope that this has given you some inspiration to think about play and what it means to you. Reframing our thinking about play and how as adults we can model playful experiences in our own lives to our children celebrates the importance of play. How have you incorporated playful moments into your own and your child’s life?
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