Our lives are busy and our to-do lists are never-ending. Now more than ever, our children are craving connection. And my favourite way to connect is through PLAY!
Dedicate time to just be present and in the moment, it doesn’t need to be hours but just a few moments each day will help fill your child’s bucket (and yours!). Connecting through play is where the magical moments happen and memories are made! It’s not just about keeping the kids busy so you can do all of the things, but about finding playful moments in the mundane.
This week on the blog, I’m sharing 5 simple ways you can playfully connect with your kids!
Read a book together
The act of reading with your child not only helps set an incredible foundation for early language and literacy skills and understandings, but it’s also a wonderful way to bond with your child – especially during your bedtime routines to wind down for the day. Don’t be afraid to test out character voices and over-the-top expressions – it just adds to the experience! Dedicating time to reading out loud each day with your child makes for such a memorable and enjoyable experience – one you can get the whole family involved in too!
Bake together
Kids love getting in the kitchen! There are so many incredible learning benefits for our little learners when they help out in the kitchen too. Practical life skills are an obvious benefit, but even strengthening fine motor skills, language development and even exploring early numeracy skills such as measurement, capacity and counting!
Learning benefits aside, the kitchen is a great place to spend quality time with your little learners. You can create family traditions and even family recipes that will stay with your little learner for the rest of their lives. I have such fond memories of helping my Nana in the kitchen and in our own family, we often make pancakes together on a Sunday morning.
Have a dance party
Nothing is more fun than turning on the music and having a dance party with your kids! Twirling and spinning, the laughs will be flowing and memories being made! We have a lot of dance parties in our home – sometimes blasting music helps to get less-fun activities like play room resets done in a more exciting way!
Go on an adventure together
Adventure days with the kids are probably my personal favourite way to connect with my own little learners. Audrey has one more year before she heads off to Kindy so we try to plan a weekly adventure day with her on a Friday – it’s so wonderful being able to explore new places (and visit some favourite spots) and enjoy some dedicated family connection time.
Whether it’s a day at the beach or a bush walk, there are so many wonderful little memories being made as you adventure out with the kids. And they’ll always find special little treasures along the way!
Get on the floor and PLAY!
Sit back and take note of your little learner’s interests, see what they are drawn to and where they might need some extra support. Then use that information to join them as they play! Connect with them distraction free. It’s okay to use play as a way to connect with your child. It’s okay to step back and support your child to play independently too!
Your little people won’t look back on their childhood and remember ALL the incredible moments you shared together. But the bits they do remember will make a patchwork quilt of memories that will lay the foundation for their future (possible) kiddos….and that’s something pretty special.
Finding those little moments to connect playfully is what we’re all about here at Little Lifelong Learners and I’m so passionate about supporting our members with this inside our Little Play Club too! Each month, I share play ideas, printables and video lessons designed to support parents to inject more playful moments into their everyday. We’d love for you to come to join the fun by clicking right here. We can’t wait to meet you!
