Play is the work of childhood. It fosters creativity, problem-solving, social skills, and curiosity. Trust that your toddler learns best through joyful, unstructured play.
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood."
- Fred Rogers
Key Concepts
- Play is a gateway to a “state of flow” - a psychological experience where children are totally and happily immersed in an activity - it's in these moments that they learn best. Play is linked to improved academic, language, and social skills, problem solving, curiosity, and math ability.
- You may sometimes feel guilt or pressure that you need to make the most of your time together and that your toddler always need to be learning something. With and without you next to them, trust that your toddler is actively learning from every moment of play.
- If you introduce screen time, it’s best to co-view it. Co-viewing makes screen time active, by asking questions, singing songs together, and encouraging them to engage with interactive content.
What to Try
- Avoid overscheduling. Toddlers need downtime in a “state of flow” to make meaning, to explore their interests, and recover from the hard work of listening and following all day. Offer open-ended materials, like blocks or natural materials, that don't have a set agenda. These foster creative play.
- Provide pretend play materials, like a doctor’s kit, play kitchen, doll, tools, or pretend food. Mix in real objects too. Toddlers love to imitate what they see their caregivers doing (talking on the phone, cooking, etc).
- Play with water in the tub or in a sensory bin. Dumping and pouring promote cognitive and motor skills.
- Tape down butcher paper so your little one can draw comfortably while they practice making lines, squiggles and shapes. This is foundational for early literacy.
- Provide active play materials (balls, slides, tunnels, pillows, etc) that support gross motor skills (climbing, crawling, tracking, throwing, jumping)