There’s probably no event in life that makes you feel as proud as when you have your own child.

People say that it’s a difficult feeling to describe until you actually have a child, but all parents say that their number one priority and motivation in life is to do everything in their power to ensure their little one has the best, most fulfilling, bright, and happy life as possible.

And because this is such a motivation for all parents, we understand that you will be on the lookout for any tricks and tips to help them succeed socially, academically, and in life.

But in our extreme efforts to enhance our little ones' lives, sometimes we fail to see that the most important parts of life are often the most obvious: letting our children be free to play.

So, let’s dive into what defines play, why play is so important for toddlers, and how you can enhance this part of their lives.

What defines play?

There are different ways of thinking about play. But many child experts break play down into three terms:

Free play. Free play is when a child is allowed to make their own decisions and choices. It is the freedom for a child to have an open-ended experience.

Solo play. Solo play is when a child plays alone – but not necessarily unsupervised.

Social play. Social play is when a child plays with others. This could mean the child might watch others, play side-by-side, or interact with them.

Now that we’ve looked at what defines play, let’s explore why it’s so important for your toddler.

Why is play important for my toddler?

We live in a very fast-paced, competitive world. A world where every parent wants the best for their child and is willing to fight for them to get the best. While you may be hurrying to get your child to nursery school, to their extracurricular clubs, and to their playdates with friends, it’s understandable that you haven’t created space for them just to be. To play to their heart's content and reap the benefits of this simple but beautiful part of childhood.

Here are some of the main reasons play is so important for our little ones:

Play allows children to practice high-level thinking skills and social skills. Although it may seem simple and somewhat unproductive, you couldn’t be more wrong about the benefits of play when it comes to children. Play allows children to develop problem-solving, critical, and divergent thinking skills and learn about cause and effect.

Play teaches children immeasurable soft skills that are very valuable for their future. Although structured learning in classrooms has measurable results for children’s learning, people often underestimate that play teaches them a different (but equally important) skill set. Play teaches a child skills such as risk management and helps them gauge where their personal limits are.

Now that we’ve looked at why play is so important for your toddler, let’s explore how you can enhance this part of their life:

How can I enhance this part of my toddler’s life?

Remember that even though you can’t see the effects of play, they very much exist. As a parent, it’s natural to want to understand how something your child is involved in is feeding them positively. However, remember that the learning your child will receive from play can’t be measured or immediately seen.

Develop a sense of trust in your child. Protecting your child is a natural instinct that never goes away. But it’s one we need to learn to manage as our little ones grow. Trust them to learn through play, and that this is a process they have to go through to develop certain skills, so resist the temptation to overcontrol this part of their development.

Reschedule your life to honour your child’s need for play. Now that you’ve learnt more about the value and importance of play, it might be a good idea to reevaluate you and your child’s timetable and whether you are making sufficient space for it.

Make play a priority, not an afterthought. Being more conscious of how much time you are setting aside for your child to play is essential. Remember, children can’t develop a skill if they don’t have time to develop it!

Value play. It’s common for adults to refer to play in a way that implies it’s something that doesn’t matter that much. For example, “just go play!”. If you do this, it’s important you make an effort to talk about play in a tone of voice that demonstrates its importance.

Manage your play expectations. Play is a skill that your child will garner over time. Therefore, try to manage your expectations of what play will look like, depending on their ability level and age. When you begin to integrate play into your child’s routine, aim for five minutes a day and slowly build up the time they are spending on it as they develop the skill.

Check the quality of toys used. Although it may seem a little insignificant to some, the quality of toys that your child plays with is really important for honing their skills in this area. For example, avoid toys that are considered to be “one-and-done toys” that have flashing lights and batteries. This is because their shelf life is short, and they can only be used in one way. Children need versatile, open-ended toys that they can learn a lot from.

Cut back on screen time. Letting your child have too much screen time can be detrimental to your child’s ability to engage in play. It changes their brains and makes it much harder for them to create play organically. Make it a priority to monitor how much screen time your child has, and make changes to this if you feel you need to.

Remind your child that play is their job, not yours. It can be helpful sometimes to remind your child that it is their job to play, not yours. This can feel a little strange as parents because it’s normal to feel like you need to control every activity your child is engaged in. However, when it comes to playing, it’s all up to them!

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