1. Bank of PLAY Ideas – having a bank of PLAY Ideas up your sleeve is a powerful tool to have because it removes some of the thinking from the equation…saving time and leading to action quicker. In saying that, it is important to build this bank with play ideas that will work for you and your littlies…to avoid overwhelm. A great place to start with this is knowing what play your littlies enjoy and engage in. Then finding ideas and saving them (I love screenshots and lists – aka daily PLAY Planner) for when they are needed. This is the ideal list to dip into on those days when you need something to entertain your littlies while you tackle another task or on the days where you want to connect on a deeper level with your early learner/s.
2. Use a planner – Using a planner has many wonderful benefits – one being a place to write those bank of PLAY Ideas down (building a legacy of PLAY) in a spot that you look at every day. And another in a place where it can be scheduled into your daily routine making it much easier to plan in your daily routine. Our daily PLAY Planner incorporates daily PLAY with the other commitments we have within a day/the week/month/year.
3. Find your village – this is an important one because when we find people to connect with, they inspire us with the ideas and perspective they share with us. Finding your people in the PLAY community gives you opportunities to engage with other Mums of early learners, sharing everyday moments with others that have similar values around PLAY and a place to reach out for support on matters that are important to you. Villages are a fabulous environment to discover new PLAY Ideas and feel inspired daily.
Check out the celebratePLAY learning platform and become a member of our PLAY community…everyone is welcome.
Instagram – the place to catch up on my daily Motherhood PLAY journey, learn more about PLAY based Learning, discover new resources from the brands we love and use and see what’s happening in our learning space.
Facebook – the place to find your daily dose of PLAY Ideas and Inspo through celebration and community…cheering on others from the sideline.
Website – the one stop place to learn more about PLAY based learning through the blog, download printables in store and browse the free resource library…with education at the forefront.
Membership – Project PLAY is the membership where I support Mums of toddlers and preschoolers in boosting daily PLAY at home through education and community (aka the Daily PLAY Plans)…and a whole lot of greater intention, organisation, celebration all whilst building a legacy of PLAY at home one day at a time. Think masterclasses, lives, Q & A sessions, mini lessons, resources to use at home.
4. Batch It – a strategy that sees the resources for PLAY collected all at the one time for the day or week ahead and stored in the PLAY space ready for use – whether it requires a set up or not. This strategy eliminates stress, overwhelm, and saves time…making it easier to set up for PLAY when it is needed.
5. Spaces and Systems – when resources are organised in a way that fit your life and the user/s understand how they work… so much more time is gained for other things such as PLAY.
Spaces and Systems you may consider are:
- Toy Rotations
- NEW DAY=NEW PLAY BUT NOT IN A FANCY WAY!!
- Invitations to PLAY
- Provocations to Learn
- PLAYspace in a separate area to the common area within the home or a PLAY space in the common areas of the home.
- Several nooks/stations in different rooms of the home for PLAY
- Project Based Learning – rich task
- Theme based Learning
These 5 tips are sure to provide some food for thought and support you in finding PLAY Ideas with ease, actioning them in your daily routine and finding time for doing more of the things that matter most to you.
BONUS – Use this checklist as a reminder of the ways you can boost daily PLAY.
