Podcast: Play in new window
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Being a playful parent is so important. It’s been talked about a lot in my mommy and me groups, and I’ve read about it a lot online so I know it has value. That’s why I couldn’t wait to talk to former elementary school teacher and play expert Meredith Sinclair so she could share why having playtime with your kids, at any age, can help their development.
Meredith is a contributor for The Today Show, and an ambassador to The Genius of Play, a national movement to raise awareness of play in a child’s development. She’s also written a book called “Well Played: The Ultimate Guide To Awakening Your Family’s Playful Spirit.”
In her book she outlines ways parents can incorporate play from reading in silly voices, to creating a giant outdoor Tic-Tac-Toe game. The book also has DIY projects and hundreds of lists and tips for creating playtime.
Many of you probably already some kind of play into your daily routine, but don’t realize why it so important.
Here’s a few of the things we cover in this episode:
- Unstructured play helps kids learn, can improve communication, cognitive and social skills
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 60 minutes of open-ended play every day.
- Genius of Play research finds kids need play to blow off steam and learn valuable lifelong skills.
Together with the team at The Genius of Play, Meredith is hoping to spark a new trend of parents getting down on the floor with their kids, tossing a ball around in the backyard, or simply playing a board game to open up the lines of communication with their kids. This episode has a ton of great information for parents on how they can do that. And of course, we deliver it in the most playful way possible.
You can learn more about Meredith and her book at MeredithPlays.com
And find out more about the Genius of Play movement at theGeniusofPlay.org
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