There are so many different types of play to explore with your little one, from messy play to pretend play, and you can have so much fun during playtime in their early years. The majority of different activities that you try at home will fall into one of two categories; parent-led play or child-led play. Both of these are beneficial for different reasons, however, if you’re keen to try sensory play, then parent-led play is something you may want to learn more about.

It is useful to introduce parent-led play at home from a young age and doing so can go on to help your little one when they start nursery or preschool and they are participating in a lot of adult-led play. If you’ve never heard of parent-led play before and you’re wondering why it’s beneficial, below we have looked into using sensory boxes during parent-led play in more detail.

What is parent-led play?

As the name suggests, parent-led play is any type of play that is directed by an adult. As a parent or caregiver, you will create play experiences for your baby and then be an active participant during playtime. So, rather than leaving your baby to play by themselves, you will give encouragement, instructions and demonstrate things during playtime.

Sensory play is a brilliant example of parent-led play as the majority of sensory experiences created with sensory toys and props will require more than just adult supervision. Parents will typically play an active role in sensory experiences and they will be required to move sensory props around or show their little one how to use sensory toys. Sensory play is an excellent opportunity to experiment with parent-led play.

The benefits of parent-led play

As mentioned above, both parent-led play and child-led play are beneficial for different reasons, and you should encourage both of these types of play. Some of the biggest benefits of parent-led play for babies, toddlers and young children include;

Guide your baby through the learning process

Not only can parent-led play be lots of fun, but it also provides learning opportunities. During sensory play, you have the chance to teach your little one new things and you can encourage their curiosity. From teaching cause and effect to supporting trial and error, parent-led play enables your baby to try new things that they might not be able to do independently. This type of play is about so much more than just playing for fun.

Support the development of different skill sets

When creating different playtime experiences for your little one, you can help them to develop several important skills. Simply playing together can improve everything from gross and fine motor skills to hand-eye coordination and problem-solving skills, and you can use the toys and props in a sensory box to aid development. Developing all of these skill sets through play will help your little one to reach their early years milestones.

Encourage social and emotional development

Not many types of play also support social and emotional development, and parent-led play can teach your little one how to interact with others. During parent-led play, you will be speaking to your baby, improving their language, listening and social skills, and this one-to-one interaction can be incredibly beneficial. Throughout playtime, they can learn about different feelings and emotions too, and you can support their cognitive development.

Spend uninterrupted time together

During parent-led play, you have the opportunity to spend some time with your little one. You can focus on playing together without any distractions and nurture your special bond. The time you spend having fun together during sensory play is more important than you may initially realise and sharing happiness will help to build trust. Parent-led play can help to create a strong relationship that will benefit you both for years to come.

Ordering a sensory box online

If you would like to try parent-led play at home and you’re interested in purchasing a sensory box to help you create fun playtime experiences for your little one, take a look at the My Little Goody Box website today. We supply a selection of different sensory boxes that contain a range of sensory toys and props, all of which are perfect for parent-led play.

Here at My Little Goody Box, we understand that it can be difficult to know how to play with your little one and we pride ourselves on making it as easy as possible for parents and caregivers to play with their babies. We provide helpful play guides in our sensory boxes that can be used to help you create different sensory experiences. You can also sign up for our newsletter for more play ideas, so you never run out of ways to use your sensory box.