Play has been the natural and spontaneous work of childhood since the beginning of humanity. Yet, many people nowadays see sure signs that play is in decline. While it is true that the world has changed dramatically since we were children, we refuse to accept the decline of play as “the new normal”. We have seen play flourish and help children thrive in the dire conditions of a refugee camp, so we know it is not necessarily doomed to extinction in the modern world.
We learn from our own observation of children and from other people’s scientific research. As working mothers we are quite busy, so no matter how eager we are, we do not have enough time to share our findings. We prefer to produce less content but focus on quality. So far we have written some resources on the importance of play and how adults can help children enrich their play and make it more meaningful and engaging. Here are links to our blog posts on the topic:
The importance of symbolic play – What is symbolic play? Why is it important even for older children? What are the benefits?
Why pretend play is important in early childhood (3-5) How to recognize pretend play? What makes children engage in symbolic play?
Symbolic play and cognitive development How can pretend play be educational?
How play can be healing How can play be healing? How to stimulate healing play? What are the best toys for therapeutic play?
How to encourage symbolic play When does pretend play start? How could adults prompt and sustain such play? What could stunt and discourage symbolic play? What toys and materials are suitable for pretend play? How much space do we need?
Playing with toy animals:
Playing with toy animals – a rich resource on play with toy animals in general
Resources on play with specific animals:
American: Raccoons Skunk Cougar
Follow our blog posts and social media for texts on play, toys, wood, children’s books, culture, etc.