Top Tips for Parents – Give Your Child a Helping Hand

Play Matters have released a booklet aimed at parents/carers of children aged 0-4 years as part of the Give Your Child a Helping Hand campaign.

This lovely resource has some tips for parents on talking, listening, and playing with their child alongside guidance on encouraging positive behaviour, promoting emotional and physical well-being and using digital devices sensibly.

Click below to download a copy.

 

 
 

Nurture your child’s mental health through play

Play is crucial to children’s healthy development and happiness and is vital for
children’s mental health and wellbeing.

Secure emotional attachments between adults and children have been shown to be fundamental in supporting children’s ability to cope with stress, anxiety and difficult situations. Play also offers children huge opportunities to ‘try out’ or ‘test’ new or challenging situations – leading to increased confidence, self-esteem, resilience and well-being. Research into the role of play suggests that children’s natural playfulness allows for some crucially important functions to develop for healthy physical and mental well-being.

View the latest Play Matters factsheet here

Play Matters – Playing with stuff around the home

As Christmas approaches and the financial pressures build for many parents Play Matters have published their latest play briefing sheet entitled ‘Playing with stuff – around the home’.

Within the briefing it encourages parents to think about the many natural play resources that can be found around the home.

We have probably all seen some children on Christmas morning being more intrigued with the cardboard packaging that a toy or gift has come in than the actual toy itself!

View the Play Matters Briefing here.

Within an article released this week, the American Academy of Paediatrics cite that the best toys are old fashioned, hands-on playthings including cardboard boxes!   View the article here.

 

 

Play Matters – Hanging Out

The latest Play Matters briefing is now available.

This briefing explores what play means to older children (pre-teen/teenagers) and highlights to parents that older children still need time and space to chill out, relax or ‘hang out with friends during their day. Spending time with young people is a great way for parents to stay connected with their child and included is a few tips and ideas for parents to consider.

View the briefing here.