The Importance of Parent and Child Play
All work and no play! Not the best recipe for life. Busy schedules make it tricky when your little one says ‘Will you play with me?” Here are some key reasons to say yes to parent and child play.
By taking the time for parent and child play, you are nurturing healthy development, a strong sense of self-esteem and confidence. Studies have shown that parent and child play can boost brain development and increase the parent-child bond.
A recent MIT study found that back and forth exchanges during parent and child play boosts a child’s brain response to language. In a study of children between the ages of 4 and 6, MIT cognitive scientists found that differences in the number of “conversational turns” accounted for a large portion of the differences in brain physiology and language skills that they found among the children. The findings show that parents can have considerable influence over their children’s language and brain development by simply engaging them in conversation
Therefore, playing together provides the opportunity to converse, build social skills and shape traits such as empathy and problem-solving. Adult interaction builds confidence and can help with school readiness.
Ideas for parent and child play and conversation:
Read Together: Reading is one of the best ways to engage with your little ones. While reading, stop and discuss the characters, make silly voices and chat about the story.
Play Board Games and Card Games: Playing games provides the most natural parent and child play. You will be teaching key social skills like taking turns, winning and losing plus counting and numbers.
In The Kitchen: Cooking together makes for super parent and child play. Ask you child to help you measure ingredients and be sure to talk about the colors of food.
Play Outdoors: Scavenger hunts, gardening, hopscotch or a simple walk around the neighborhood pointing out numbers and shapes is a great way to encourage parent and child conversations.
Teach My kits and sets provide many opportunities for organic interactions. Parents are a child’s first and most important teacher. Teach My makes it easy to engage in parent and child play and back and forth conversations.
