Two girls, a boy, and a Dad standing in front of the Calgary Reconnect Counselling Group sign. Each is holding a sign with a letter to spell PLAY. The Dad is playfully holding the "Y" upside down and making a funny face. Everyone shows a different PLAY style!

Playful parenting mission, part 2

Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to play with your child today.Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to play with your child today.

Ideas and inspiration for playing with your child

In this blog post, child psychologist Marcella Galizia
guides parents in exploring their play style to help them
build their playful parenting Superpower skills.

Which one of these play styles sounds more fun — or most like your most fun YOU?

P – “Pretender” play style

You love bringing imagination into play. Sometimes you follow your child’s imagination. Other times, you might even like to create your own storyline and share your own play ideas.
Your play style displays curiosity and creativity Superpowers. Consider that when sharing your own ideas, this can sometimes change your child’s play and other times it expands or elaborates on it.

L – Looker or “observer” play style

You are watching and learning about your child and their stories through their play. Get ready for your child to surprise you with topics of their interest, concepts or feelings they are trying to work through. Their ideas will often have depth and brilliance that will touch your heart. You will soon be amazed when you immerse yourself in your child’s world. Plus, it is so nice to “just be” with your child.

Important Superpowers in this play style: Watching your child’s play gives it significance and develops their sense of how important they are to you and their place in the world.

A – Asker or “wonderer” play style

You dive right into the play by asking your questions with curiosity about what is happening, what the play actions or moves mean, or even wondering “what will happen next?”

Your curiosity Superpowers are at play in this play style! Sometimes this deepens the meaning in the play, and other times it might disrupt the play. Track your child’s response to your questions. Do they ignore you, become annoyed, or answer you back? Take your guide accordingly from their response.

Y – You’re an “analYzer” in your play style

You like to figure out what your child’s play means. You hypothesize and then come up with theories about “why” the characters (or your child) is doing what they are doing. Once you’ve completed your analysis and interpretation, you let the child know what you think it’s all about.

What this play style unfolds: Sometimes you might be right, other times wrong (your child might surprise you with their creative ideas). Other times it might be just play, and playing just for fun is definitely okay!

Looking for more playful parenting tips to grow your playful parenting style?

In case you missed it – check out part one in this playful parenting series for more parenting tips.

Play is a window into a child’s world

Play therapy outcome studies have found play therapy to be an effective intervention in supporting kids with social, emotional, and behavioural challenges. (Bratton et al, 2005).

Reference

Bratton, S. C., Ray, D., Rhine, T., & Jones, L. (2005). The efficacy of play therapy with children: A meta-analytic review of treatment outcomes. Professional psychology: research and practice, 36(4), 376.

Meet the author

Marcella Galizia, MA, RPsych
Marcella Galizia, MA, RPsychChild Psychologist at Kids Reconnect
Marcella is a Director and co-founder at Kids Reconnect. She is a registered psychologist based in Calgary who specializes in child counselling and play therapy and is highly experienced working with complex cases and childhood trauma. Marcella’s extensive play therapy expertise includes completing the Red Stream Advanced Theory and Techniques in Play Therapy Course and the Green Stream Certificate in Foundations of Play Therapy through the Rocky Mountain Play Therapy Institute, as well as additional training in play-based techniques through the Alberta Play Therapy Association, the League of Extraordinary Adlerian Play Therapists, and Learn to Play Therapy Events. Marcella plays every day!

Meet the editor

Ana Hoepfner, BEc
Ana Hoepfner, BEcCommunications at Kids Reconnect
Ana is a writer and designer who delivers business results through creative, joyful communications that surprise and delight. Leveraging her 15+ year track record of successfully building and boosting corporate, personal, community, and non-profit local and international brands, Ana designed, copywrote, and manages the “spark-tacular” Kids Reconnect, Couples Reconnect, and CRCG websites, including this blog. As a true believer in the power of words and play to inspire and change the world, Ana delights in cultivating and using her creative Superpowers to spark joy for kids, parents, and families. Ana loves playing with words and colours.

Looking to bring more play into your everyday parenting game?

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