Do you chat with co-workers before and after school as much as I do? I am lucky enough to have incredible co-teachers, and we spend a lot of time discussing students, their strengths, challenges, and how we can work as a team to scaffold their growth and help them develop at just the right pace. We assess, strategize, brainstorm, and vent – it’s one of the reasons I love my job. Over the last few years, we have noticed that our students’ needs have shifted, and from our observation, they seem to be getting less free play at home, indoors, and especially outside. When I shared with my followers and participants in training I have facilitated, the reaction was clear, this isn’t just our hunch, teachers all over are feeling the same way. We can’t shake the feeling that our preschoolers need more free play at home. So what can we do? Do what teachers do best: educate! Here are some great tips for encouraging your students and families to play at home!
Step One: Educate Parents About The Importance Of Play and why their preschoolers need more free play at home.
Most parents know that preschoolers need to play. I’d wager to say that all do, but life gets in the way. And they may not know just how beneficial more free play is for their preschooler. With more and more parents working remotely and childcare being expensive and hard to come by, even if you can afford it, parents often have to juggle work with little ones at home. It’s sometimes essential for little ones to be quiet; we all know the easiest way to achieve that is to hand them a screen. I am not judging and not suggesting that, as teachers, we should be monitoring or shaming parents for their choices, but we can advocate for the importance of play. So, how can we do that?
- Share simple resources about the importance of play like this one from Boston’s Children’s Hospital about the benefits of free play.
- Model the importance of play in your classroom. When sharing your class schedule or routine with parents at the start of the year, emphasize why you have large chunks of time for play. Explain that you do some of your most crucial teaching during free play.
- Consider a parent education series advocating for play, like this great one from specialist Amanda Morgan.
- If your insurance and school policies allow it, allow parents and students to stay after school to use your playground. This is a simple way to encourage outdoor free play.
Step Two: Give Parents Ideas About How To Encourage More Play At Home
Share resources and ideas to get families playing together. For many kids, it’s hard to go from screens or organized adult-directed recreation programs to completely free play. They need some support. Ensure parents know that their job isn’t to entertain their children, but sometimes, creating invitations to play, having the right materials, or making a simple play setup can make all the difference.
- Share lists like this one of 75 Everyday Activities for 3 Year olds ( and 4, and 5, and 6) and this one for outdoor activities.
- If parents ask about using workbooks or worksheets to prepare for kindergarten, send this home instead. It fills that need for something tangible, but the activities inside are all playful learning activities that will satisfy that need for ” real learning” without taking too much time away from free play. Get your teacher copy ( make as many copies as you want) here.
- Send home simple things like this bug hunt or nature hunt printable that act as bridges from indoor screen time to outside, together time. The goal isn’t to complete the hunt; the goal is to get kids and parents outside more.
- Take note of the toys and materials your students play with well and share that with families. “Hannah loves playdough, do you have any at home?” Sometimes these simple conversations can spark wonderful change.
Step Three: Brush up on your understanding of learning and play.
If we want to advocate for play, we need to ensure we have a strong understanding of why we are advocating for it. Here are two simple, budget-friendly ways you can do that!
- Read Amanda Morgan’s brand-new book, Not Just Cute: How Powerful Play Drives Development in Early Childhood. This book is a must-read!
- Join Amanda and me this summer to learn more about play, discuss her book, and discuss its real-world applications. She will be part of my summer workshops this year, which are priced so anyone can join.
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