Encourage playfulness
#6Allow your child to explore, experiment, and be silly with a focus on learning.
Decades of developmental research — from Piaget’s work on cognitive stages to Vygotsky’s insight that play is how children operate in their “zone of proximal development” — confirms that play isn’t a break from learning. It is learning. Through play, children practice social negotiation, test hypotheses, process emotions, and develop executive function. The sillier and more imaginative, the better — pretend play is particularly powerful for developing theory of mind and emotional regulation.
Supporting Values
This principle helps cultivate these core values in your family:
Practical Examples
- • Join in their silly games and imaginative play
- • Encourage experimentation and creative problem-solving
- • Celebrate mistakes as learning opportunities
Related Activities
These family activities help put this principle into practice: