Issue #9 – Play Isn’t Just a Break: Why It’s the Heart of Development
✨Growing Together: A Newsletter on DIR/Floortime ✨
Dear Families and Friends,
When we think about play, it’s easy to see it as something “extra”—a reward after schoolwork, a pause in the day, or just a way for children to burn off energy. But in reality, play isn’t just a break—it’s the heart of development.
Play is how children learn to understand the world, connect with others, and make sense of their own emotions. It’s where growth truly happens. 🌱
🎲 Why Play Matters So Much
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Cognitive Growth: Pretend play builds imagination, problem-solving, and flexible thinking.
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Emotional Regulation: Through play, kids practice coping with frustration, excitement, and disappointment in safe ways.
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Social Skills: Play creates natural opportunities to share, negotiate, collaborate, and build empathy.
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Motor Skills: From climbing to crafts, play strengthens coordination and physical confidence.
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Sense of Self: Play helps children discover their interests, strengths, and identities.
💛 How DIR/Floortime Brings Play to Life
In DIR/Floortime, play isn’t an “add-on.” It’s the primary way we enter a child’s world, follow their interest, and build new skills through joyful interactions. By joining children in their play, we:
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Spark connection
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Stretch developmental capacities
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Help children feel seen, safe, and capable
🌟 Try This at Home
Next time your child is playing, pause and ask yourself:
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How can I enter their world instead of redirecting them into mine?
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What emotions are they expressing through this play?
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How can I add a small challenge that makes the game just a little more interactive or creative?
Even five minutes of fully engaged play can shift the tone of your day and deepen your relationship.
📚 Resource Spotlight
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Ginsburg, K. (2007). The importance of play in promoting healthy child development. Pediatrics, 119(1), 182–191.
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The Power of Play by David Elkind – A classic resource on why play is central to growth
📅 Coming Next Issue:
“The Role of Co-Regulation: Why Calm Connection Comes Before Learning”pment”
Remember: When we value play, we value the child. Let’s keep making space for joy, imagination, and connection—because play isn’t a pause in development, it is development.
With warmth,
Courtney St.Germain, DIR-Expert, OTR/L
Founder of Child & Family Development
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