All play is developmental play

The most important thing to remember is that all play is developmental play.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles says:

"There isn’t a type of play that is not developmental, and, so, all play is good play. It’s important and reassuring for parents to remember that you don’t have to be doing workbooks with your little ones or sitting down and doing all these activities you see on Pinterest and Instagram."

Be led by your child

Find something that your little one gets excited about and explore it together.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles says:

"Child-led play is key. Go with whatever your child is interested in, and it will develop different areas of learning."

General Practitioner Dr Stephanie Ooi adds:

"Along with Instagram and social expectations, there can be a lot of pressure on parents to do the right thing and play in the right way. Let them choose what they want, and then just build on that."

Independent play

It’s great to play alongside your children, but don’t worry if you don’t always have a large chunk of time to dedicate to it. Our experts say that just ten minutes a day is a good amount of time to spend playing with your little one.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles explains:

"Put your phone to one side and put all your attention into your child, and really get involved in their play. Basically, pretend you’re a child and play like you’re them, and they will absolutely love you for that. It can be a good way to get them started and set them off so that they’re then happy playing independently, allowing you to get back to what you need to get done."

Interacting vs interfering

Try to give children the space to play and explore without asking too many questions or steering them off course – remember that all play is good play.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles says:

"You shouldn’t feel guilty that your children are playing without you. That’s not a bad thing; it’s actually a good thing. Remember that there’s no right or wrong way to play with toy; if you want to use a plastic pot as a hat, let them, try to resist the urge to jump in and explain how it should be used. Letting them to explore will help nurture their creativity."

Kiddylicious Nutritionist Katie Angotti says:

"Often they want to use toys in their own way, and they don’t use them in the way that you intend them as an adult. That’s okay, and it’s important not to interfere to allow them to explore their own ideas."

Roleplay

Most children love to roleplay, and the good news is that roleplay is one of the best ways to boost their development in all areas.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles says:

"It’s a great activity that will hit all the markers for different areas of development. For example, roleplaying with kitchens will develop creativity, critical thinking, language skills, physical development and is even really good for maths. So, it’s just a really great all-round activity with a lot of benefits."

It’s all about the set-up

You don’t need to constantly lay out activities for your children, but it’s worth having a think about the set-up of your house: what toys do they have available to them? Do they know what items they’re allowed to take and what’s off-limits? Set the boundaries so they’re free to play and learn without you needing to guide them through it – this will allow them to explore their own independent thinking with the comfort of a safe, familiar environment.

Developing at different times

All children develop at different rates, so try not to compare your little one to children of similar ages.

Early Years Child Development Specialist Sophie Pickles says:

"Different areas of the brain control different functions, and, so, sometimes a child’s brain is so focused on the language learning side of things that maybe the physical development will take a bit of a backseat, or the other way around. So, your child might be the same age as another child but have completely different skills. That’s okay; it doesn’t mean that one is better than the other – it just means that one child is focusing on one thing and the other child is focusing on something else."