What is your PLAY style?

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!

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

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).

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.