The benefits of playtime

Play gives children the opportunity to learn who they are, what they can do, and how to relate to the world around them.

Children live in a world where they don’t have much control, and are still learning how to express their feelings. Play is wonderful for letting them explore their imagination, test out new ideas, make mistakes, express feelings, solve problems and gradually gain self-worth and confidence in their own thoughts and ideas. At the same time, you’ll learn a lot about your child and what makes them tick by playing with them.

Find time to play together every day if you can, even (or especially) if your child is going through a phase of acting out. It can be tempting to distance yourself from challenging behaviour and avoid play – but it’s the perfect opportunity to give positive attention, and to just have fun together. Aside from lapping up the attention, little ones love it when their parents join in!

Positive play enhances feelings of control, success and pleasure. It can also reduce feelings of anger, fear and inadequacy. The benefits of play are boundless!