5 Crucial Skills Your Child Needs to Play Independently

Does your child play well independently? Do you ever want to scream, “Why won’t you just. go. play !?!?”

I talk a lot about assuming a CAN’T instead of a WON’T with our kids. So let’s apply this to independent play.

Just like there are physical developmental stages that need to happen in a certain order…sitting up before standing, walking before running, etc.

The same thing is true for learning how to play. There are the steps to learning to play independently and interactively.

1. Attunement

This syncing of a child and caregiver’s brain is the foundation for attachment, bonding, emotional regulation, and felt safety.

2. Body and Movement Play

Vestibular and proprioceptive activities are key for brain development. Rhythmic movement is also crucial.

3. Object Play

Manipulating objects is crucial for problem-solving later in life. This also involves constructive play like Legos.

4. Imaginative Play

Imagination is a key to emotional resilience, creativity, and personal coping skills.

5. Social Play

This can include parallel play, cooperative play, rough-and-tumble play, celebratory and ritual play, storytelling and narrative play, or transformative-integrative and creative play.

Which stage do you think your child needs a booster in?

For more details on these concepts, watch the video below.