There are many opportunities for you to take on a teaching role when playing with your child.  This is how they learn about the world around them.  However, children are often directed on how to behave and play and are rarely afforded the opportunity to lead their own play.  Your child can learn many things from being in charge of his or her play.  This is called non-directive or child-centered play.  By engaging in this type of play with your child you can encourage his or her sense of empowerment by allowing control over the environment.  By allowing your child to label and define his or her toys the imagination is hard at work.  By having your child try tasks by him or herself you are enhancing the ability to solve problems, thereby improving cognitive ability and self-confidence.  If you simply track (i.e. commenting on what you observe) what your child is doing while he/she is playing and reflect upon the feelings you sense they might be experiencing you are communicating your understanding of your child’s world and encouraging his/her social-emotional growth.  So next time you are playing with your child allow him/her to lead the play and notice how much your child learns about the world and how much you learn about your child!

                                Article courtesy of Tracy Leibach, Ph.D., NCC

 Dr. Leibach is currently a teaching professor in counselor education at the University of Florida and lives in Gainesville, Florida with her husband, Danny and 3-yr old daughter, Riley.