The power of play in early childhood

Play is how young children make sense of the world. Whether with dolls, blocks, trains, or playdough, children use play to explore, experiment, and learn. In early childhood, it is essential that children have at least an hour of open-ended play each day, as recommended by research. During this time, they should be encouraged to ask questions, test ideas and engage in creative thinking. Play is not just fun — it is foundational. Play supports cognitive growth, language and communication skills, social and emotional development, physical coordination, creativity, and overall school readiness.

So, how can you support your child’s development as they play? When your child is playing this week, try these three simple strategies to level up their play and boost their learning!

Let your child lead

Pay attention to what your child is already doing during play. You don’t need to give instructions or take control — just follow their lead and support their curiosity. Join in by asking open-ended questions that encourage deeper thinking. For example, if your child is building a tower, you might say, “Oh no, it keeps falling! What can you do to make it stronger?” Being nearby and engaged shows your child that their ideas matter and helps them build problem-solving skills through play.

Provide a variety of materials

Instead of offering just one type of toy, try giving your child multiple kinds of play materials at once. For example, provide blocks as well as cars, dolls, and figurines too! Your child might build a house for the dolls or create an entire town with roads, buildings, and characters. Mixing materials encourages creativity, problem-solving, and storytelling, opening the door to endless imaginative possibilities.

Narrate and label

As your child plays, talk about what they’re doing in the moment. This might sound like narrating emotions— “I can see you’re feeling a big emotion right now. You seem excited to start building with the blocks?”—or labeling their actions— “Wow, you are building a tall tower! You were so creative in the way you built your tower with more blocks on the first row and just one block on the last row!” By narrating and labeling during play, you help your child develop language to describe their behaviors, build new vocabulary, reinforce concepts like colors, shapes, and actions, and support their emotional awareness. Most importantly, describing children’s behavior shows your child that you’re tuned in and encourages them to keep exploring and expressing themselves.