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How to Support Independent Play

A child who can play alone for a stretch is not a luxury for the parent — it's a developmental capacity for the child. Self-directed play is where tod...

6 min read

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Solitary Play: Is It a Problem?

Many parents worry when their child prefers to play alone. Is this a sign of a problem? Will it affect social development? The truth is that solitary...

4 min read

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Ideas to Occupy a Child During Rest Time

The day the nap fails is a hard day. By 4 p.m. the child is fried, by 5 they are melting down, and you've lost your only quiet stretch of the afternoo...

6 min read

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Independent Play: How Children Learn to Play Alone

A 3-year-old standing in the middle of a tidy playroom announcing "I have nothing to do" is, in that moment, doing something developmentally important...

7 min read

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How Much Independent Play Children Need

"How much should I leave them to it?" is a question most parents ask sideways, usually after a guilt spike about putting CBeebies on for 20 minutes. T...

4 min read

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Common Adult Mistakes in Encouraging Independent Play

When a child struggles to play independently, the assumption is often that the child lacks a skill. More often, the environment or adult behaviour is...

3 min read

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Independent Play: How to Encourage It and How Much Children Need

"How long should my toddler be able to play on their own?" is one of those parenting questions that feels like it should have a simple answer. It does...

7 min read