Play time is the “wake” portion of your eat/wake/sleep cycle. During your playtime, you want to challenge and stimulate your child, but you do not want to OVER stimulate your little one. Get ideas for what to include in the playtime part of your day, how to structure it, and what toys are great for every age!


Post Contents
- Independent Playtime
- What to Do When Your Kid Resists Independent Playtime
- How To Start Independent Playtime Late
- How To Get Your Child to Happily Play Alone
- Roomtime: Structured Playtime Alone for Kids
- How To Child-Proof Your Space for Independent Playtime
- Tips to Prevent Ransacking During Independent Playtime
- Structured Playtime
- Importance of Free Playtime
- Get My Weekly Email!
- Thank you!
- Blanket Time
- Best Toys for 0-3 Months Old
- Index: Best Toys for Baby/Toddler/Preschooler/Child
- DIY Doorway Puppet Theatre {Tutorial}
- Gift Ideas for the Teen in Your Life
- Top Toys for 4-Year-Olds: Best Preschooler Toys
- Best Toys For Preschoolers age 3 and Up
- Best Tween Gift Ideas They ACTUALLY Want!
- Structured Playtime with Siblings
- Learning Time
- Helping Kids Stay Sane When Stuck Indoors
- Book Recommendation: The Siblings’ Busy Book
- Reading to Toddlers
- 5 Fun and Simple Christmas Activities for Kids
- How To Do A Preschool Homeschool
- Teaching Handwriting to Your Children at Home
- Babes, Tots, and Kids: 52 Weeks of Preschool
- Recent Playtime Posts
- What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
- Optimal Waketime Length: Finding Baby Wake Windows
- Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
- The Best Toys for 18 Month Olds
- Toddler Playtime Activities: Structuring the Day
- 4 Must-Try Newborn Wake Window Activities
- More Playtime Tips, Ideas, and Help
- Outside Toys Worth the Investment (All-Star Toys)
- Independent Playtime for the School-Aged Child
- Sleep Pressure for Babies
- Waketime/Playtime Index
- Baby Playtime Activities By Age
- Roomtime: Structured Playtime Alone for Kids
- When and How to Extend Baby’s Wake Time Length
- What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
- What to Do When Your Kid Resists Independent Playtime
- Optimal Waketime Length: Finding Baby Wake Windows
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 0-3 Months
- Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
- When Your Child Won’t Stay in Independent Playtime
- Why You Shouldn’t Over Stimulate Baby During Playtime
- Over 51 Activities To Do at Home With Preschoolers
- Independent Playtime
- More Than Making It Through the Day
- Best Toys and Gift Ideas
- Play Time Activities
- Learning Activities
- Wake Time
- Play Time Tips
Independent Playtime
Get a full overview on independent playtime. Learn all about independent playtime and its benefits as well as how to implement it and solve any problems. Get information for independent play at all ages and tips for getting started at an older age.
What to Do When Your Kid Resists Independent Playtime
How To Start Independent Playtime Late
How To Get Your Child to Happily Play Alone
Roomtime: Structured Playtime Alone for Kids
How To Child-Proof Your Space for Independent Playtime
Tips to Prevent Ransacking During Independent Playtime
Structured Playtime
You need structured play as part of your day every day. Understand what structured playtime is and when to plan those structured playtime activities into your child’s day each day.
Importance of Free Playtime
Free play is a very undervalued part of a child’s day. Free play is a vital part of a child’s development, and while it is “free” play and unstructured, they do a lot of learning.
Blanket Time
Blanket time is a helpful tool to help you teach your child to respect boundaries. It can be a nice quiet time that is structured each day. Find out what is blanket time, the benefits of blanket time, how to implement blanket time, and what to do if baby resists blanket time.
Best Toys for 0-3 Months Old
I have toy and gift ideas for you for every age (even up to teenagers). Get toy ideas for your newborn here!
Index: Best Toys for Baby/Toddler/Preschooler/Child
DIY Doorway Puppet Theatre {Tutorial}
Gift Ideas for the Teen in Your Life
Top Toys for 4-Year-Olds: Best Preschooler Toys
Best Toys For Preschoolers age 3 and Up
Best Tween Gift Ideas They ACTUALLY Want!
Structured Playtime with Siblings
Giving your children time to play with each other each day is a great way to help foster a true friendship. Read all about how to do sibling playtime here.
Learning Time
You will want to have some learning time as part of your day each day. This can be very, very simple! Almost everything is learning opportunity for your kids.
Helping Kids Stay Sane When Stuck Indoors
Book Recommendation: The Siblings’ Busy Book
Reading to Toddlers
5 Fun and Simple Christmas Activities for Kids
How To Do A Preschool Homeschool
Teaching Handwriting to Your Children at Home
Babes, Tots, and Kids: 52 Weeks of Preschool
This is another invaluable resource. This is an eBook I co-authored. It has 52 weeks of preschool you can do from home. It is for ages baby on up through Kindergarteners. We have written it so you can do it with all of those ages at the same time, so it is perfect for moms of multiple kids or of course even just one child at a time can do it. We spent years writing this! You will love it.
Recent Playtime Posts
What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
Optimal Waketime Length: Finding Baby Wake Windows
Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
The Best Toys for 18 Month Olds
Toddler Playtime Activities: Structuring the Day
4 Must-Try Newborn Wake Window Activities
More Playtime Tips, Ideas, and Help
Outside Toys Worth the Investment (All-Star Toys)
Independent Playtime for the School-Aged Child
Sleep Pressure for Babies
Waketime/Playtime Index
Baby Playtime Activities By Age
Roomtime: Structured Playtime Alone for Kids
When and How to Extend Baby’s Wake Time Length
What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
What to Do When Your Kid Resists Independent Playtime
Optimal Waketime Length: Finding Baby Wake Windows
Best Toys for Baby: Ages 0-3 Months
Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
When Your Child Won’t Stay in Independent Playtime
Why You Shouldn’t Over Stimulate Baby During Playtime
Over 51 Activities To Do at Home With Preschoolers
Independent Playtime
- Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
- Benefits of Independent Play
- Independent Playtime Lengths by Age
- When Your Child Won’t Stay in Independent Playtime
- Tips to Prevent Ransacking During Independent Playtime
- Roomtime: Structured Playtime Alone for Kids
- Room Time Setup for Independent Playtime
- How To Child-Proof Your Space for Independent Playtime
- What to Do When Your Child Falls Asleep During Independent Playtime
- What to Do When Your Kid Resists Independent Playtime
- Great Toys to Encourage Independent Playtime
- How To Get Your Baby Playing Independently
- How To Start Independent Playtime Late
- How To Get Your Child to Happily Play Alone
- Independent Playtime for the School-Aged Child
- How Independent Playtime Saved Our Homeschool
More Than Making It Through the Day
- More Than Making it Through the Day as a Mom
- More Than Making it Through the Day: 0-6 Months
- More Than Making it Through the Day: 6-9 Months
- More Than Making it Through the Day: 9-12 Months
- More Than Making it Through the Day: 12-15 Months
- Structuring a Pretoddler’s Day: 15-18 Months Old
- More Than Making It Through the Day: 18-24 Months
Best Toys and Gift Ideas
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 0-3 Months
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 4-6 Months
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 7-9 Months Old
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 10-12 Months
- 35 Best Toys for PreToddler: 12-18 Months
- The Best Toys for 18 Month Olds
- Best Toys for Toddler: 18-24 Months
- Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
- Best Toys for Toddler…2.5 and Up
- Best Toys For Preschoolers age 3 and Up
- Top Toys for 4-Year-Olds: Best Preschooler Toys
- Best Toys for Children 5-8 Years Old
- Best Tween Gift Ideas They ACTUALLY Want!
- 8 Different Styles of Puzzles You Should Get for Kids
- 7 Building Toys Your Children Will Love
- Outside Toys Worth the Investment (All-Star Toys)
- Timeless Toys to Get Your Kids
- Guidelines for Choosing Preschool Toys That Will Last
- Toys You Won’t Regret Buying for Baby
- Toys for Baby and Toddler
- 11 Perfect Toys to Keep Boys Occupied
- 9 Toys Your Daughter Will Absolutely Love
- Best Art Supplies for Kids
Play Time Activities
- Baby Playtime Activities By Age
- Blanket Time Full Guide: Teach Baby to Sit Still
- 4 Must-Try Newborn Wake Window Activities
- How To Do Tummy Time Even if Baby Hates It
- Helping Kids Stay Sane When Stuck Indoors
- How To Fill Toddler’s Time When Transitioning to One Nap
- A Parent’s Complete Guide to Structured Playtime
- Structured Playtime With Siblings {Sibling Playtime}
- Importance of Free Play Time & How To Fit It In
- How To Use Free Playtime In Your Child’s Schedule
- Toddler Playtime Activities: Structuring the Day
- Why Your Preschooler’s Job is Play
- How to Organize a Playgroup
Learning Activities
- How Easily Work Learning Activities into Your Daily Life
- How To Do a Learning Activity of the Day
- Over 51 Activities To Do at Home With Preschoolers
- How I Do Learning Time with Young Kids
- Best Educational Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers!
- Musical Activities for Toddlers {Guest Post}
Wake Time
- How Long Should a Newborn Be Awake Between Naps
- Newborns and Waketime is a Slow Process
- Adding Waketime to Your Newborn’s Day
- How To Accurately Calculate Baby Wake Time Length
- How to Calculate Waketime When Baby Wakes Early
- Optimal Waketime Lengths
- What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
- Optimal Waketime Lengths for Toddlers 12-24 Months Old
- Tips Know When it is Time to Extend Baby Awake Time
- How to Tell if Baby is Overtired vs. Undertired
Play Time Tips
- Why You Shouldn’t Over Stimulate Baby During Playtime
- How To Organize Toys
- If Baby Doesn’t Like a Toy, Change the Location!
- A Simple Toy Rotation for Busy Moms
- Toy Storage Ideas for Families
- Learning Triangle for Babies
>>>See all of my schedule tips posts here