The Way of Play

October 21, 2024
“Consistently playing with our kids... creates an environment for their growth into successful, well-adjusted people,” according to this astute parenting manual. Explaining that young children learn crucial social and cognitive skills through play, psychotherapists Bryson (The Whole-Brain Child) and Wisen-Vincent outline seven strategies parents can use to maximize its benefits. To help kids become better attuned to their own intentions, thoughts, and feelings, the authors recommend narrating kids’ actions to them (“Looks like you’re building a jumping ramp for the car”). “Mirroring” children during play introduces them to the idea that, since other people can “tune in” to their mindset, so can they understand the perspectives of others, Bryson and Wisen-Vincent contend, suggesting that if a kid starts, for instance, speaking like a robot, a parent might reply as a robot, too. The guidance is straightforward but solid, and Liddiard’s adorable illustrations offer examples of the advice at work. For example, one panel in which a father gently encourages his hesitant young son to wade farther into a pool shows how parents can support kids while pushing them outside their comfort zone. It’s one of the more fun parenting guides readers are likely to encounter. Illus.