You always provide such insightful reads. Thank you Kunlun. I think with my boy, everything has to be "play"... I feel that I'm in an improv show all day
Thank you Ying! Really appreciate your kind words and support!
That's great. Actually from playing with them, we can get a lot of info about how they think and what happens during the day. When my daughter just went to preschool, she didn't talk much about what's happening at school. But during playtime with her when she was acting like school teacher, we got to know quite a lot about the school. Quite interesting.
Yes! That is something we are doing with my boy now, just before bedtime. Apparently, if we 'retrace' our steps for the day, it helps them relax and sleep better....
Thank you for this. I always go back and forth with play. I wonder if I'm letting them play too much. Silly, right? I love the science behind this. Resilience and creativity? Yes please! Sign them up for more unstructured play!!
Hi Emily. Thank you! You're not alone. I often wonder the same thing. I guess it's a common feeling as a parent. And if needed, we could gently provide some pointers to them during play :) Sometimes we can 'merge' some other things into play. Like when my 3yo and I had pretend play as teachers, we sometimes taught her stuffed animals about numbers and letters. It's quite fun to see her repeat with me and teach her "friends".
Yes! putting some pointers in front of them makes good sense. I just imagine my boys wrestling on the ground (as is good for them) but also practicing self-control and listening to each other!
Kunlun, I love how you connected the neuroscience, e.g., dopamine for joy, norepinephrine for focus, cortisol for stress relief with the everyday scenes parents see as “just play.”
Playful brains afoot! It’s so reassuring to remember that what looks like chaos with all those tumbling block towers and countless games of hide mom and dad’s computer mouse/ keyboard keys is actually their brains wiring resilience, focus, and creativity. I’m especially fascinated by the neuroscience piece — dopamine and norepinephrine making play not just fun but foundational for learning. It makes me want to protect their unstructured playtime even more!
Thank you Courtney! Glad you liked it. It's interesting kids are exploring the world and developing their brains in such interesting way, especially during unstructured playtime. We adults often think those unstructured playtime were useless. But lots of things are going on in their little brains.
I am a big fan of unstructured play. I love setting out materials or open ended toys and just stepping aside to see what their imaginations come up with ✨
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you liked it.
Yes it’s amazing to see them play in a way so unexpected. Even with just some simple stuffs, they can create something special. We should protect such creativity.
You always provide such insightful reads. Thank you Kunlun. I think with my boy, everything has to be "play"... I feel that I'm in an improv show all day
Thank you Ying! Really appreciate your kind words and support!
That's great. Actually from playing with them, we can get a lot of info about how they think and what happens during the day. When my daughter just went to preschool, she didn't talk much about what's happening at school. But during playtime with her when she was acting like school teacher, we got to know quite a lot about the school. Quite interesting.
Yes! That is something we are doing with my boy now, just before bedtime. Apparently, if we 'retrace' our steps for the day, it helps them relax and sleep better....
Thank you for this. I always go back and forth with play. I wonder if I'm letting them play too much. Silly, right? I love the science behind this. Resilience and creativity? Yes please! Sign them up for more unstructured play!!
Hi Emily. Thank you! You're not alone. I often wonder the same thing. I guess it's a common feeling as a parent. And if needed, we could gently provide some pointers to them during play :) Sometimes we can 'merge' some other things into play. Like when my 3yo and I had pretend play as teachers, we sometimes taught her stuffed animals about numbers and letters. It's quite fun to see her repeat with me and teach her "friends".
Yes! putting some pointers in front of them makes good sense. I just imagine my boys wrestling on the ground (as is good for them) but also practicing self-control and listening to each other!
Kunlun, I love how you connected the neuroscience, e.g., dopamine for joy, norepinephrine for focus, cortisol for stress relief with the everyday scenes parents see as “just play.”
Thank you my friend! I'm so happy that you find this article helpful. That means a lot to me!
Playful brains afoot! It’s so reassuring to remember that what looks like chaos with all those tumbling block towers and countless games of hide mom and dad’s computer mouse/ keyboard keys is actually their brains wiring resilience, focus, and creativity. I’m especially fascinated by the neuroscience piece — dopamine and norepinephrine making play not just fun but foundational for learning. It makes me want to protect their unstructured playtime even more!
Thank you Courtney! Glad you liked it. It's interesting kids are exploring the world and developing their brains in such interesting way, especially during unstructured playtime. We adults often think those unstructured playtime were useless. But lots of things are going on in their little brains.
What a great read!
I am a big fan of unstructured play. I love setting out materials or open ended toys and just stepping aside to see what their imaginations come up with ✨
Thank you for your kind words! I’m glad you liked it.
Yes it’s amazing to see them play in a way so unexpected. Even with just some simple stuffs, they can create something special. We should protect such creativity.