We all know that play forms a big part of our little one’s development, but we don’t often appreciate just how important it is.

 

Play is essential for every child’s development – it’s the most important thing they can do. During play, children develop and hone the vast majority of the skills they will need to be successful, everything from imagination and manipulation skills to socialisation and emotional intelligence. Play-lead learning is by far the most successful approach to instilling new skills and knowledge into our Tots. Luckily for us, play is instinctive within children. It will come as no surprise to know that children are wired to be curious and to explore, in a playful way, the world around them. They don’t need much coaching. Just look at their ability to turn an empty cardboard box into the world’s greatest toy. They instinctively know what they need to learn and are naturally driven towards play that helps them build on the skills they are starting to develop.

The way this happens will vary from child to child, but unstructured play that allows your Little to explore their environment is an essential part to every child’s day-to-day life and to their full flourishing as a human.