A young child’s very best learning and growing happen in the context of play. The opportunities to include language–particularly the Language of Feeling–in play are endless!
- Just think of how many emotions we show as we pretend to cook, stack blocks into a tower, care for baby dolls and stuffed animals, blow bubbles, pretend, do puzzles, draw and color, and have a playground adventure. Sign and talk with me about my feelings as we play together.
- Strike a balance in my daily play experiences.
- Playing alone, playing with you, and playing with friends (with your support as needed) are all critical for my brain and body development.
- Playing with toys, with household objects, in a variety of outdoor spaces, in every room of our home, in the homes of caregivers and friends, at the library, and in childcare settings expands my curiosity and knowledge.
- Play gives me many opportunities to think deeply, solve problems, and navigate social connections. Facing appropriate-for-me challenges in play gives me practice using the Language of Feelings. It also grows my emotional self-regulation.
- Stress can limit my capacity to learn well. Play–and any sort of enjoyment, truly–reduces felt stress. When I feel relaxed, I can engage more fully and acquire language more effectively.