Enjoy unstructured play with their children
Parents may be busy, but it’s more important than ever for parents to make time to play with their kids, says Timothy Davis, PhD, a private practitioner in Newton, Massachusetts, and a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. “Parent/child play is important in maintaining a strong relationship and strong attachment between parent and child, which fosters resilience.”
Let kids take the lead
Parents shouldn’t try to take over or control the activity a child is engaged in, says Natasha Cabrera, PhD, a professor of human development and quantitative methodology at the University of Maryland in College Park. If a child is using a play stove as a drum, that’s OK. “Don’t say, ‘This is a stove, you have to cook,’” Cabrera says. “Being intrusive means taking away the child’s autonomy to create something new.” Instead, she says, encourage the child to try out new ideas in a safe space and say instead, “I didn’t realize that was a drum. That’s really interesting!” Younger children may need a little help developing their imaginative skills, says Sandra Russ, PhD, a professor of psychological sciences at Case Western Reserve University. “Parents can help scaffold the play a bit,” she says. They might model how a building block could be a piece of fruit or a telephone, for example, or ask their child to make up a different ending for the story.
Encourage "pretend play"
Unlike board or card games, which have set rules to follow, pretend play allows children to come up with their own rules, games and stories. Pretend play that helps children develop their imaginations, hone their creativity, and learn how to amuse themselves is key, Russ says. While pretend play may involve dolls, action figures, art supplies, or blocks, it can also be as simple as couch cushions and blankets that become a fort, pots and pans that become musical instruments, and natural materials like branches and pinecones that become parts of imaginary worlds. “That helps the child develop the ability to see lots of different uses for things,” Russ says. “You don’t need expensive toys.”
Facilitate safe interaction with peers
Parents may be tempted to use screen time to distract their children while they’re trying to get their own work done. That’s OK in small doses, but parents should try to make screen time interactive, Davis suggests. “There are lots of different ways you can play together over Zoom or FaceTime,” he says. Parents can set up virtual or in-person play dates where a child and a friend build with Legos and show off their creations to each other. Find versions of board games children can play with friends. Encourage children to tell stories to their grandparents or share their artwork with friends.
Send kids outside
Outdoor time should be a priority, McNamara says. “Family tag, running games, Frisbee, catch, skipping, biking, skateboarding, and skating are all possible,” she says. “Chalk, washable paints, ropes and cones can be used to create obstacle courses and sidewalk art.” In addition to parks, parents can take advantage of outdoor spaces such as backyards, driveways, or city sidewalks.
Incorporate playfulness into everyday activities
By incorporating playfulness into everyday tasks like cooking dinner or planting a garden, parents will not only be getting help, they will be teaching children important skills like math and collaboration, and giving them a sense of contributing to the household, says Robyn Holmes, PhD, a psychology professor at Monmouth University. Parents can invite their children to get creative and add food coloring to food or make pancakes into squares, triangles, or dinosaurs, she says. Or let children use the family garden as their own pretend “farm.”
