The Importance of Play

Play plays a very important role in your child's development and helps nurture all the developmental areas (the whole child). Make sure your child has a safe place to play and explore materials. Allow the child to follow his/her own interests and motivation, prepare a variety of materials and provide support, if needed.

Here are a few great quotes about children and play:

"Play is the work of the child". Maria Montessori

"Play is the highest form of research". Albert Einstein

"Children require long uninterrupted periods of play and exploration" Jean Piaget

* there are many very inexpensive "open ended" materials that you can provide to your child:

empty bottles
empty boxes
paper
colored pencils
home made play doh
kitchen utensils
towels, blankets
plastic cups
leaves and sticks from outside
dried beans (be careful choking hazard for younger children)