Through play, children develop language, communication, and literacy skills. It fosters imagination, vocabulary growth, and social interaction, making learning engaging and meaningful. Play also promotes health brain development, creativity, and problem-solving, while boosting self-esteem, confidence, and social connections.
Ways to Play with Your Child
- Imagine Together
- Act out different roles (firefighter, vet, princess, anything you can imagine)
- Share a book
- Enjoy a pretend meal
- Make a puppet a new friend
- Let your child “tell” you a story, either from a book or from their imagination
- Build Together
- Create structures using anything around the house
- Have as much fun wrecking as building
- Tell stories about what you are building
- Move Together
- Get outside to run, jump, and climb
- Put on music and dance around the house
- Play peek-a-boo
- Roll a ball back and forth
- Explore Together
- Observe nature and the world around you
- Try out simply experiments! What happens when you drop a rock in a stream, mix colors of paint, or put a seed in the ground?
- Create Together
- Use items around the house for arts and crafts
- Draw pictures
- Follow a recipe and cook a treat
- Write and draw your own book with your child
Books
Play is how children explore and learn about the world around them. It is essential to every child’s health development. Together with talking, singing, reading, and writing, PLAYING is one of the best ways you can help your child learn and prepare them for future success.
Tips & Exercises to Try
- For ages 0-1: Try toys that explore senses - different textures, sounds, shape sorters
- For age 2: Try having toddlers help around the house, wash dishes, water plants, or cooking
- For age 3: Try play doh, or make up and act out a story together
- For ages 4-5: Try an early board game with simple rules, practice taking turns
- Say “yes” when your child asks you to play; play with them rather than just watching.
- Listen to music together and dance and/or sing along.
- Take your child’s play into the “real” world. If they loved a book about a grocery store, take them grocery shopping and talk about the book.
- Ask open questions. If they’re playing with blocks ask, “Tell me about what you’re making.”
- Pretend play with your child. Be silly, ask questions and play along.
- Let your child guide the play! See what they want to play with and follow their lead!
Library Branches with Play Spaces
- Hill Avenue Branch
- Jefferson Branch
- La Pintoresca Branch
- Lamanda Park Branch
- Linda Vista Branch
- San Rafael Branch (Only available on Wednesdays at 11:30 a.m. after Storytime)
- Santa Catalina Branch
- Villa Parke Branch