• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
Messy Motherhood

Messy Motherhood

messymotherhood.com

  • Free Challenge
  • Coaching
  • Articles
    • Anger Management
    • Family & Motherhood
    • Parenting
  • Show Search
Hide Search

Day 30: Independent Play

Picture8
Independent play has always been an important thing in my house.  I am a pretty scheduled Mom and I have time every day where J spends 30 minutes in his pack-n-play playing alone.  I’ve been doing this since he was an older infant (starting somewhere around 7 months) for shorter periods of time.  I did do independent playtime when we was a newborn as well, but I placed him on a blanket instead.  You don’t have to be as structured with it as I am and you don’t have to use a pack-n-play like I do, but giving your child some independent time to play is important.

  • It helps with problem solving skills, concentration, and creativity
  • Gives children space to figure things out without adult interaction.  For example:  J learned how to go from lying to sitting by himself while he was in his pack-n-play.  I wasn’t there to help him and he just “got it” with out intervention.
  • Great for self-esteem through the ability to problem solve on their own.
  • Gives time for make-believe play which enhances all sorts of skills.
  • Also helps with separation anxiety.

Independent play time allows for me to have extra time to get some of my stuff done as well.  I use that time to blog, clean, make phone calls, etc.  I used to feel guilty about this, but it’s gotten better since I noticed all the great things that have come out of doing independent play.

IMAG0039

J stacked up all his toys in the corner during independent play.  See the problem solving and creativity it took to do this?
Here’s how I do independent playtime, but there are lots of other ways of doing it.
  • You can do it in a pack-n-play, their room, or in any safe room. 
  • Pick 5-10 toys that are age appropriate and interesting.  I always include books, a favorite toy, and a puzzle in my toy selection. 
  • Rotate the toys on a regular basis.  I usually do it once a week.
  • Pick a time that’s good for you and your child.  Don’t do it when they are tired or hungry.  I do it at 8:30 am and 5:00 pm.
  • I set a timer so that he knows when independent playtime is over.
  • I play music because he loves music!
    Activity #30:  Hide and Seek
    There are tons and tons of ways to play hide and seek.  Today, I want you to pick one and ask your children to play along.  Here are some great hide-and-seek ideas.  Pick one that’s good for your child’s age.
    Infants:  Babies don’t understand that objects don’t disappear when covered until 8-9 months of age, so it’s a thrill for young infants to see an object re-appear!  This is called object permanence.
    • Cover a toy with a blanket and pull it off. 
    • Cover your baby with a blanket and pull it off.
    • Play peek-a-boo
    • Cover your face with a blanket and pull it off.
    Toddlers;
    • Cover objects with a blanket and let them pull it off.
    • Hide a toy that makes music and have your child seek out the music to find the toy.
    Older kids
    • Play the classic game of hide and seek where friends hide and someone seeks them out
    • Have them seek out to find different objects around the room (all the blue toys, all the cars, Easter eggs!)
    "I found Dad!"
    J at 14 months playing peek-a-boo with his Daddy’s picture.
    Tomorrow:  Wrap up and last activity
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Google+
    • Pinterest

    by Amanda Leave a Comment

    Filed Under: Play Tagged With: 31 Days of Play

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. jengod

      December 31, 2011 at 3:16 am

      Oh, I like this idea very much…blanket time is independent play time!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Footer

    Copyright © 2023 Messy Motherhood • Terms and Conditions • Privacy Policy

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter