IT'S PLAYTIME TOTS
www.icenimagazine.co.uk
Issue 91 2020
It’s Playtime Tots “It’s Child’s Play!” This phrase is used to dismiss the importance of something or refer to it as being easy, but child’s play isn’t easy and, in the words of Maria Montessori, “Play is the work of a child”. Working their bodies and minds, play allows children to learn and grow at a significant time in their development, but it also puts a lot of pressure on mums and dads to support their learning. This has been even more evident since the pandemic. Schools and Nurseries were closed, play dates with friends or trips to playgrounds were not allowed, Baby and Toddler groups weren’t running (and a lot still aren’t!), so the pressure of entertaining our children 24/7 at home was definitely on us. Plus, as parents, these times that the children are playing are when we get to seek advice, support and reassurance from other mums and dads about our child’s development or behaviour. It’s hard work! It isn’t a case of putting a child in a room full of toys and them playing happily for hours. Children are curious, they strive for adventure and need constant stimulation. We have a world of information at our fingertips thanks to the Internet, which can help, but is also overwhelming trying to work out what kind of activities to offer to help their development, as well as working out if it is suitable for their abilities and then find the time and all of the resources to set them up.
Offering a range of play and learning opportunities gives children the foundations to learn. This is easy in an Early Years Setting such as a Nursery School, Playgroup or Baby and Toddler group with lots of space and an array of resources to hand. The environment is also designed for learning, so most children easily engage in the activities, but at home, it is more of a challenge. I am an experienced Early Years Practitioner and have spent years working with children in a Nursery School, as a Private Nanny and as a Class Activity Leader. However, lock-down was still tough on me, so I can only imagine how hard it must be for the mums and dads who haven’t got the background knowledge I have. I have always been passionate about supporting families and, in particular, other mums. Motherhood is tough and sometimes lonely, so by using my knowledge and experience, I founded It’s Playtime Tots to support them. I help mums with their child’s learning, development and behaviour through play at home which is simple but fun. I am an advocate of child-led play and really encourage my mums to embrace this too. By observing a child’s abilities and interests, we can plan and create activities which will not only engage them fully, keeping them entertained, but also enhance areas of their learning, development or behaviour at the same time. I provide a free support group on Facebook, posting weekly activity ideas plus general
PAGE
18
Twitter: @icenimagazine
Facebook: www.facebook.com/icenimagazine
Instagram: icenimagazine
