Why is play so important?

Open-ended play in the real world is your child’s full-time job. It’s the most important work they will ever do. 

🔎It’s the basis of curiosity, problem-solving, hypothesis testing, and scientific investigation…everything from dropping food on the floor (gravity experiment) to throwing rocks (velocity testing).

🎨 It’s their artistic expression, letting them recreate their world with colors, crayons, paints, dirt, mud (and puddle jumping)!

🙌It’s how they relieve stress, share their stories, and organize their experiences. Kids won’t say, “I’ve had a rough day.” They just whisper, “Come play with me.”

🏃‍♂️It lets them move, tumble, jump, run, twirl, fall, and experience their body in space. This is crucial for coordination and the trust of their bodies.

👃It integrates their senses, letting them taste, feel, smell, see, and touch their world. This is the foundation of all learning.

⚽️ It develops social skills, turn-taking, and conflict resolution skills as kids share, build teams, and work together for a greater cause.

The more a child plays, the more they can develop their identity and confidence. Build in time each day for unstructured play time. Follow their lead. Play is their life work, so let them play!