The Importance of Play in Early Childhood: Beyond What We See

Understanding that play is essential for your baby’s development is usually pretty easy to grasp. We hear it all the time, and many experts say similar things.

“Play is the work of the child.” Maria Montessori

“A child's greatest achievements are possible in play, achievements that tomorrow will become her basic level of real action.” Lev Vygotsky

“Play is the work of childhood.” Jean Piaget

But what does that mean?  In short, it means that the importance of the play that you and your child are doing actually goes much deeper than you might think. 

The Simple Reason Why We Play

When it comes to playing with our babies, we might find ourselves searching endlessly on social media or Pinterest for inspiration. Or, we save ideas from our favorite experts or creators to try during the week. 

We understand that playing with our child is not only important, but also fun! So we go out of our way to discover new play ideas that our children will love. 

You may be spending your child’s nap time in the kitchen soaking chia seeds in water, instead of tackling that laundry pile, so that when your child wakes up, they can discover the squishy slimy feeling of the chia seed slime between their fingers. 

We do this because we love watching our children try new things, experiment with new toys, or take part in new activities. If it makes them smile, laugh, or stay engaged for more than two seconds, it is worth it.

We might also understand what type of play it is. For example, the chia seed slime was sensory play. They got the chance to touch, feel, taste, and smell the slime you spent an hour soaking. That part makes sense to us. But rarely do we stop to think about the other benefits of this activity. They finish playing, we clean up the mess, and move onto the next part of our day. 

But if you take a moment to learn the other benefits of a simple sensory activity, like chia seed slime, you’ll be reassured that some of the simplest play activities you come up with are building upon skills that will last them a lifetime.  

The Skills Simple Play Builds

Play teaches your child skills that may seem simple at first glance. However, if you really think about the impacts of building these skills, you’ll quickly understand how important play really is. 

Play builds the brain’s ability to focus and persist

When children repeat actions during play, stacking, dumping, filling, they are strengthening neural pathways related to attention and focus.

They build the tower by stacking the blocks “up, up, up”. Then they knock it down, maybe give you a giggle, and do it again. The more they repeat this activity, the more their focus and attention grows over time. You may notice that they can build three towers in a row the first time, before getting up and leaving the blocks behind. Then build ten towers in a row the next time. 

Their ability to focus slowly increases, allowing them to stay engaged with more complex activities later on.

Play teaches emotional regulation before children have words for it

Through play, children practice handling frustration, surprise, excitement, and disappointment in small, manageable ways. A tower falling, a character losing a game, or pretend play changing direction all help children learn how to recover emotionally long before they can explain how they feel.

Your child is transferring water from one cup to another and the water spills. Sometimes they laugh it off. Other times, when they’re really invested, they get upset because it didn’t go the way they expected. Their shirt is wet, and suddenly they’re crying.

You say something like, “That’s okay, it’s just water. We can get a new shirt.” Slowly, they learn that mistakes happen and begin to develop tools to handle similar moments with a calmer, more proportionate reaction.

Play builds problem solving without children realizing they’re learning

When children play, they are constantly testing ideas.

What happens if I try this?
How can I make this work?
What should I do next?

This type of thinking supports flexible problem solving later on. It is about learning how to think, not just what to do.

When working on a puzzle, you notice your child picks up a piece and tries it in a spot you know won’t work. You pause and let them try a few more times. They learn it doesn’t fit there, so they try a different spot. Maybe they turn it around and try again. This builds problem solving skills one piece at a time and eventually helps them complete bigger puzzles on their own.

Play supports language development 

When children narrate their play or retell experiences in their own words, they practice sequencing, memory, vocabulary, and expressive language. This type of storytelling strengthens comprehension and communication skills that support reading later on, even before children recognize letters.

You’re in the car after a trip to the park and ask your child what they did or who they played with. You give them the space to tell the story. When they share that they “went down the big slide with their new friend Lilah,” they are recalling what happened, using familiar vocabulary, and learning how to tell a story in order.

Play builds independence and confidence

When adults don’t rush to direct or fix play, children begin to trust their own ideas. This sense of “I can figure this out” becomes the foundation for confidence, resilience, and a willingness to try new things.

During playtime, you notice your child repeatedly trying to fit the square into the triangle slot. They keep trying, over and over. You feel the urge to jump in and help, but you pause and observe instead. They flip the box, try the square hole, and a smile appears on their face. They did it on their own. That success builds confidence to try again with the next shape and eventually harder challenges.

Play builds connection

Play is also one of the strongest ways children feel connected to you. When you slow down, sit nearby, or join in their play, you are building trust and security. This sense of connection helps children feel safe enough to explore, learn, and take risks.

In pretend play, your child decides you are a customer in their restaurant. You go along with it, even though they only serve ice cream and carrots. Then the restaurant suddenly becomes a nail salon. You follow their lead, put the ice cream down, and hold out your hand for a manicure. This shared play builds connection and helps your child feel supported as they explore and create.

Recognizing the Benefits in Real Time

With every play idea or activity comes a wide range of benefits that support your child’s learning and development. During your next play session, stop and think about the more abstract ways this could be building on your child's development. 

For example, with the chia seed slime, this play wasn’t just introducing them to a new sensation. It also was: 

• Building focus and attention through repetition: your child picked up the slime and watched it ooze between their fingers over and over.

• Supporting language development: your child described what the slime did, how it smelled, or how it tasted. 

• Building connection: your child watched how you rolled the slime into a ball and they repeated the action in their own little hands. 

When you slow down and really notice what play is building, the importance of play in early childhood comes into focus. Those small, everyday moments are not just filling time, they are shaping your child in meaningful ways.

If you want to dive a little deeper into how babies learn best, check out our blog here.