FAMILIES THAT PLAY TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER!

“Parents are their CHILD’S FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT TEACHER.”

Dear Parents,

You’ve heard it said that “play is the child’s work.” This is so true! They have a lifetime to be a grown up and work, but only once to be a child. The good news is that as you play with your child you are actually laying the foundation for learning and life. Children don’t need more “stuff.” What they want and need most is time and attention from you! The important thing is to follow your child’s lead as you create special memories! Here are some “play activities” to get you started:


Read a book.                       Tell a joke.

Exercise.                               Sing a song.

Play hide and seek.               Hum.

Say a nursery rhyme.            Play a card game.

Talk.                                       Make a puppet.

Juggle two paper towels.      Swing.

Sit on the floor together.      Build something with blocks.

Blow bubbles.                      Go outside and take a walk.

Cut pictures out of magazines.      Skip.

Play a board game.              Skate on paper plates.

Count.                                  Look out the window.

Go on a nature walk.              Make a wish.

Jump or hop as long as you can.      Do a job together.
    
Play a memory game.          Write a letter.

Cook something together.      Do a finger play.

Work a puzzle.                      Make a band of pots and pans.

Pantomime.                          Guess who I am? Play “I spy.”

Draw a picture.                      Read the funny papers.

Put on a puppet show.          Go to the library.

Make a book.                      Make a card for someone.

Play a rhyming game.          Play with play dough.

String pasta or cereal on      Draw with chalk on the
dental floss.                          sidewalk.

Play follow the leader.          Make silly faces in a mirror.


Draw a picture.                      Put on some music and dance.


*Hint! Cut these suggestions up into strips and place them in a sack. Let your child choose a strip and then do that activity.




Tic Tac Toe at Home
Use a frame similar to the one shown with activities children can do with their families. Can they get three in a row or do they want to do the whole frame?

OUTDOOR PLAY

Several years ago I read Richard Louv’s book LAST CHILD IN THE WOODS: SAVING OUR CHILDREN FROM NATURE-DEFICIT DISORDER. It reminded me that exposure to nature is essential for healthy physical and emotional development in children AND adults. (This book first came out in 2005, but you can imagine the decrease in outdoor time and increase in screen time over the past 20 years!!!!)

Educators, as well as many parents, are concerned about all the time their children spend in front of a screen. But, you can’t always give children a choice. If you say, “Do you want to go outside and go for a walk or play video games on your computer?” You know what the answer will be.

kidsgowild.org 

This UK site strives to help parents be informed and motivated to get their kids into nature and go wild with fun! 

These are some suggestions I adapted from the website that you might want to share with your parents:

Climb a tree

Roll down a really big hill

Build a tent

Hunt for stones

Watch the sun wake up

Go on a nature walk at night

Plant it, grow it, eat it

Discover what’s in a pond

Go to a park

Play in the sand

Run around in the rain

Fly a kite

Hunt for bugs

Go fishing

Cook on a campfire

Look for objects in the clouds

Make a mud pie

Swing on a rope swing

Just think how giving children 30 minutes of OUTDOOR WILD TIME every day this summer could impact their lives!!!

Note!  FOREST SCHOOLS started in Denmark in the 1980's and they have been growing across the UK. Forest Schools are a type of outdoor education where children develop academic skills, as well as social and emotional skills in a woodland environment. It's an interesting concept, so google it and see what you think.

HOW CAN PLAY BENEFIT THE CHILD?

Brain researchers, pediatricians, educators, child psychologists, and theorists all agree that we must protect and preserve PLAY! It is interesting that there is no evidence that children who read at five are better readers than those that learn at six or seven. Study after study reports that children from play-based classes excelled in reading, math, and social and emotional adjustments. They also seemed to fare better as adults in work. 

Brain Growth
When children play, their whole brain is stimulated. Play is multi-sensory, engaging, creative, and joyful. (How many of the senses are actually stimulated when a child plays a computer game?)

Dewar (Cognitive Benefits of Play) reports the following:Play improves memory and stimulates the growth of the cerebral cortex.

Play and exploration trigger the secretion of BDNR, a substance essential for the growth of brain cells.

Kids pay more attention to academic tasks when they are given frequent, brief opportunities for free play.
(Note, studies show that PE classes are not as effective as recess for cognitive benefits. PE is too structured, but a recess break can be truly playful.)

There is a link between play and the development of language skills.
Math skills benefit from play.

John Ratey argues that more physical fitness will lower obesity and improve academic performance. “Exercise stimulates the gray matter to produce Miracle-Gro for the brain… Dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine are elevated after exercise.” These can help with focus, calming down, and impulsivity.

Ginsburg notes: “Studies have found that children who engage in dramatic games of make-believe develop stronger language skills, better social skills, and more imagination than children who do not play this way.”


Social Development
Play develops the executive function. (impulse control, task initiation, delayed gratification)

When children play in groups they learn to share, communicate, cooperate, and collaborate. These are all 21st Century Skills!

Without play there are more behavior problems in the classroom. This is especially true for boys because sedentary learning is more difficult for them.

Children can learn to play different roles and practice life skills.

Play is essential for building relationships with parents, teachers, and friends.

Play helps children adjust to school.

Children can learn to solve their own problems through play.

Emotional Development

Play builds self-confidence.

Play provides children with the opportunity to master their world.

Play releases dopamine which makes children happy. It is an antidote for depression.

Children tell us things through their play because it serves as a bridge between fantasy and reality.

Play can relieve stress and help children manage their emotions.

Children can express new insights and be creative through play.

Play nurtures children’s individual talents and interests.

When playing children learn to experiment and take risks.

Children can develop self-help skills and independence when they play

Physical Development

Physical play builds healthy bodies and reduces the risk of obesity.

Play develops large motor skills as well as small motor skills.

Unstructured outdoor play can reduce ADHD and even improve test scores.

Cognitive Development

Through play children learn to understand the world.

Play develops language skills and vocabulary.

Play allows children to plan and make decisions.

Block building lays the groundwork for mathematical thinking.

WHAT IS PLAY?

Birds do it.

Kittens do it.

Even chimpanzee

In the zoo do it.

Why can’t 

Little children

Do it, too?

PLAY! That beautiful little four letter word that is at the heart of childhood, but is sadly disappearing. What most adults don’t realize is that play is NOT a frivolous waste of time. PLAY is the child’s WORK and play is how young children learn best! It’s also the teachers’ work to be ADVOCATES FOR PLAY! The more you know about play, the more you can align it to standards and what is best for children. 

Froebel had the right idea over 150 years when he created “children’s gardens.” Before you can grow anything, you have to work long and hard to prepare the soil. Before children can grow into creative, well-adjusted, happy adults, we have to prepare the soil in their gardens. Singing, dancing, running outside, pretending, building, laughing, exploring…these are the essential ingredients for young children that will create the rich soil from which they will grow the rest of their lives.

Every child deserves time. Time to play, space to play, open-ended materials to explore, and friends to play with! They need time to develop their imaginations, bodies, and creativity. Play is not a luxury or a spectator sport! Play can build childhood memories of JOY, DELIGHT, RELATIONSHIPS, and FUN! Memories that will serve them well as they travel through their lives!

WHO SAYS?

Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

United Nations – Article 31 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child
States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities…and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts.


WHAT IS PLAY?

Definition According to the Oxford Dictionary

Verb: Engage in activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose.

Noun: Activity engaged in for enjoyment and recreation, esp. by children.

The National Institute for Play describes these seven types of play:

Attunement – This establishes a connection, such as between a newborn and mother.

Body – The infant explores the ways in which her body works and interacts with the world.

Object – Playing with toys and handling physical things out of curiosity.

Social – Play which involves another child or group of children.

Imaginative (aka pretend or fantasy) – The child invents scenarios and acts within them.

Narrative (storytelling) – The play of learning and language, such as reading to a child
or listening to a child retell a story.

Transformative – Playing with imagination to transcend what is known to create a higher state.


There are many other definitions of play from pretend play to online play.

Dramatic/Fantasy Play – This play occurs when children dress up or pretend. They can use their imaginations as they take on different roles.

Structured Play – When there are rules and taking turns are involved, it is called structured play. Most children have an egocentric view of the world and it takes time to understand the importance of rules. There is often adult supervision with structured and competitive play.

Physical Play – When children climb, jump, swing, hop, run and use their gross motor skills it’s referred to as physical play. This can occur indoors our outdoors.

Small Motor Play – This involves puzzles, stringing beads, writing and activities that use small muscles.

Rough and Tumble Play – This is a natural way for children to release energy and learn to control emotions.

Constructive Play – With blocks, sand, and construction toys children learn to create and control objects in their environment.

Social Play - Children need to engage in social play with children of different ages. Through social play they learn to cooperate, share, take turns, and develop values.

Playing with the Arts - Music, visual arts, puppets, or any material where children can create provides hands-on play.

Online Play??? Really? Is sitting in front of a video game really play? Children can do this all day when they grow up, but how can they go back and play with play dough, or blocks, or be a super hero when they are thirty?

Stages of Play
Play is natural and instinctive for all human beings, and these are the basic stages of childhood play.

Stage 1 – Solitary Play (Birth through two)
Children love to be with family members, but they also enjoy time alone. They are busy exploring and discovering their word and are not interested if other children are in the same room.

Stage 2 – Parallel Play (Begins around age 2)
Children play next to each other because they are in the same area. They play side-by-side, but they engage in their own activities. They are interested in the same toys and think everything belongs to them.

Stage 3 – Associative Play (Around age 3)
Children still play independently, but they begin to talk, borrow, and take turns with toys.

Stage 4 – Cooperative Play (During the 4th and 5th year)
Children begin speaking, listening, communicating, and interacting with each other.

LET'S PLAY!!!! THE MAGIC WORD FOR 2026!

PLAY needs to be the early childhood mantra for 2026. For the next 10 days I'm going to focus on play, play, play!

WHY IS PLAY DISAPPEARING?

There are a multitude of social and cultural reasons for why children no longer have the freedom to play. Some of these problems reside with the family - others with schools.

Emphasis on academics
TV, videos , computers (Marketing suggests that if parents buy educational videos and computer programs for their children they will be smarter!)
Changes in family structure (Two working parents or single parents.)
Hurried lifestyle
Organized enrichment activities (Parents feel pressure to cram their children’s schedules with sports, language lessons, dance, etc.)
Dead end toys (These are not conducive to building imaginations.)
Adult organized and directed clubs, sports, and “play dates”
Safety (In many areas children don’t have safe spaces to play.)

In schools, play has been replaced with academics. There’s less time for art, PE, music, and recess so there is more time for math and reading.

Many children’s lives are so structured that they don’t even know how to play or entertain themselves. BRING BOREDOM BACK might need to be another mantra for childhood.

Play is critical to children’s intellectual development, as well as their social, emotional, and physical development. They were designed to PLAY!   


QUOTES ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF PLAY

"Play is the work of the child." - Maria Montessori

"Play is the highest form of research." - Albert Einstein

"It is a happy talent to know how to play." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning." - Mr. Rogers

"The playing adult steps sideward into another reality; the playing child advances forward to new stages of mastery." - Erik H. Erikson

"Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn." - O. Fred Donaldson

"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct." - Carl Jung

"We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw

"Do not keep children to their studies by compulsion but by play." - Plato

"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood." - Fred Rogers

“All grown-ups were once children…but only few of them remember it.” - The Little Prince.

I just had to include an email that my daughter sent me about 15 years ago. K.J. was in first grade then, but there is such a beautiful, simple truth here. 

Tonight KJ and I did his last week's homework together. He had to read a story and answer some questions about it, trying to get to the theme or main idea, which I'm totally in favor of since my college students struggle with this skill. However, the story was the old fable about the grasshopper and the ant, retold. On the back, the worksheet tells parents that the theme of the story is "Be sure to work hard and save up for bad times." Okay. No problem. But in the story the ant works all summer: "She did not have time to sing and play." And what about the grasshopper? "He was happy to be alive and spent every day doing all of the things he wanted to do... He sang his grasshopper songs and played in the summer rain..." What a beautiful thing! Shouldn't we all try to be a bit happier to be alive? Shouldn't we sing and play more often? We work way too hard in this country, mostly to buy more stuff that we don't need anyway. As KJ and I were reading this story together, it struck me that our country is way too much like the ant--the ant on overdrive! We've worked and accumulated so much stuff that we don't have any time to play. And the poor grasshopper--the ant doesn't even share any of her food with him! How mean! Is that the kind of message I want to give KJ, that he shouldn't bother to help people who need help? That it's probably their fault anyway? So after he told me the "theme"--which he could do without blinking--we talked about how sad the story made me because I really like the grasshopper and I think we should all be happy to be alive, and I think we should help people when they need it. He said, "Yea--if the ant went to Disney World she probably wouldn't even go on any rides. She'd just be running around trying to find seeds and stuff and she'd get stepped on because there are way too many people at Disney World." And I thought that was pretty funny! So here's to being a little bit more like grasshoppers (especially in elementary school)!

Nurturing Curiosity

Laura Pearson gives parents some insight into how they can nurture curiosity in their children.  This is a powerful article because educators and parents MUST encourage children to THINK beyond AI!

Image by Freepik

Nurturing Natural Curiosity: How Parents Can Help Children Become Lifelong Learners

Curiosity is more than a fleeting “why?” phase—it’s the fuel that drives children to explore, create, and eventually, innovate. Encouraging that instinct requires intention, patience, and sometimes, the ability to step back and let discovery unfold on its own.

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TL;DR

●      Let curiosity lead the learning process — not the other way around.

●      Ask open-ended questions.

●      Create environments that invite exploration.

●      Celebrate mistakes as experiments, not failures.

●      Support creative expression (drawing, storytelling, tinkering).

●      Stay curious yourself.

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Curiosity in Action – Everyday Learning Through Play

Child development experts, like those featured on Dr. Jean and Friends, remind us that play isn’t a break from learning—it is learning. A cardboard box becomes a rocket ship; a puddle turns into a physics experiment. By allowing imaginative play, parents help kids practice problem-solving and creativity.

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How-To: Building a “Curiosity-Rich” Home

1. Design a Wonder Shelf: Rotate books, gadgets, and nature items to inspire questions.
   
   
2. Practice “Ask Before Answering”: When a child asks, “Why is the sky blue?” ask them what they think first.
   
   
3. Encourage Messy Projects: Baking, planting, and crafting let kids test hypotheses (and sometimes make mistakes).
   
   
4. Expose Them to Diversity: Visit museums, markets, or cultural festivals. Novelty triggers curiosity.
   
   
5. Model Enthusiasm: Kids mimic adult attitudes—show excitement about learning something new yourself.

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Ways to Support Curiosity by Age

Age Range	What Works Best	Parent’s Role	Example Activity
2–4 years	Sensory exploration	Provide safe materials to explore	Water play, sand tables
5–8 years	Imaginative play + stories	Join in creative pretend games	“Invent a new animal” drawing challenge
9–12 years	Independent projects	Offer guidance, not control	Build a birdhouse or start a simple blog
Teenagers	Real-world challenges	Discuss big ideas, not just results	Debate current events or try coding mini-projects

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Creative Expression Corner

Encouraging your child to draw or paint can strengthen curiosity and creativity. Art helps children express ideas they can’t yet articulate in words and teaches them to experiment with color, form, and storytelling.

Parents can go one step further by digitizing some of their kids’ masterpieces and saving them as PDFs — a modern way to archive creativity. You can even add more pages to a PDF easily using a free online tool that lets you add, reorder, delete, or rotate artwork pages. It’s a small but meaningful way to celebrate their growth.

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Checklist for Raising Self-Motivated Learners

●      Provide safe spaces for independent exploration

●      Praise effort and curiosity, not just achievement

●      Offer choices (“Which project should we start today?”)

●      Read aloud regularly — then let them choose books

●      Discuss the “why” behind everyday events

●      Integrate learning into real life (cooking = fractions!)

●      Encourage reflection: “What did you notice?” or “What surprised you?”

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Recommended Resources for Curious Families

●      National Geographic Kids — fun science and nature learning

●      LEGO Education — STEM activities that promote hands-on discovery

●      PBS Kids for Parents — learning through play and storytelling

●      NASA’s Space Place — great for budding scientists

●      Crayola Creativity Week — art challenges that boost imagination

●      The Dad Lab — simple science projects for families

●      MindUP — mindfulness activities for kids

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Spotlight: The Power of Story-Based Learning

Stories captivate attention and build empathy, making them powerful learning tools. Whether through bedtime tales or narrative-driven educational platforms like Storyline Online, kids develop listening skills, vocabulary, and moral reasoning.

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FAQ

How can I tell if my child’s curiosity is being supported?
They ask more “how” and “why” questions, seek new experiences, and show pride in figuring things out.

What if they lose interest quickly?
Vary the format—some kids prefer visual exploration, others like hands-on learning.

Should I correct their “wrong” conclusions?
Encourage reflection first—“That’s interesting! What makes you think that?” Then guide gently toward discovery.

How much structure is too much?
Enough to ensure safety, but not so much that spontaneity disappears.

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Glossary

●      Intrinsic Motivation: The internal drive to learn for enjoyment, not reward.

●      Scaffold: Support provided to help a child learn new concepts.

●      Fan-Out Learning: Exploring multiple directions from a single idea (e.g., a question about rain leading to weather experiments).

●      Metacognition: Thinking about one’s own thinking—key to independent learning.

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Conclusion

Curiosity is a natural force—one that, when nurtured, transforms kids into self-directed, passionate learners. Parents don’t need to be teachers; they just need to be co-explorers. By modeling wonder, encouraging creative expression, and letting questions guide the day, you’re helping your child build a mindset that will last a lifetime.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!

 

MY WISH...

I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in 

jars and open a jar of it every month. 
Harlan Miller

Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.

Laura Ingalls Wilder



Christmas is a necessity. There has to be at least one day of the year to remind us that we're here for something else besides ourselves.

Eric Sevareid


 

"Maybe Christmas,” he thought, “doesn’t come from a store.” “Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more!” 

The Grinch

My wish for you is that this day is full of wonderful blessings!  I hope all the love you give to  your students every day comes back to you and fills you with joy! 

                               

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

 

I'M DREAMING OF A WHITE CHRISTMAS!

When I was a little girl I got ONE thing for Christmas. Seriously! One thing! And I was happy. I usually got a baby doll and I named her and I LOVED her. We put out popcorn and a beer for Santa. (My dad had a sense of humor and we didn’t know any better. I was probably in third grade before I realized that Santa liked milk and cookies.) We would hang up one of my dad’s socks and in the morning we’d find a few nuts, an orange, and a candy cane in it. 

Those were the days before television and advertisements. Our family had one bathroom and one car for six people and somehow it worked. We never went out to eat because there were no fast food restaurants. There were no books or cartoons about Santa, so my vision of him was created from my imagination and “The Night before Christmas.” 

Was I naïve? I didn’t know I was suppose to get tons of presents and leave out milk instead of beer. Ignorance really was bliss because I have such sweet memories. It’s also called selective nostalgia because I only remember the good things. I try to forget the family feuds and some of my disappointments. It does no good to recall the negative things.

That might be the secret to true happiness this holiday season. Forgive and forget the unkind words and hopes unfulfilled. Focus on the positive and things that you have in your control. Surround yourself with people you love, and ignore the ones you are not too crazy about.

I send you peace, love, joy, and hope!!!

Merry! Merry! Happy! Happy!

Now, I'm going to turn off my computer and make some holly jollies. I'll be back December 26th. Ho! Ho! Ho!