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
- How To Get Your Child to Happily Play Alone
- How To Start Independent Playtime Late
- Room Time Setup for Independent Playtime
- McKenna Baby Summary: Week 35
- Poll Results: What was baby’s independent playtime length for 6-7 months old?
- Poll Results: AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START YOUR CHILD IN ROOMTIME?
- Structured Playtime
- Importance of Free Playtime
- Get My Weekly Email!
- Thank you!
- Blanket Time
- Best Toys for 0-3 Months Old
- Road Trip Activities for Kids
- Best Educational Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers!
- Great Bicycles You Can Buy From Amazon {Friday Finds}
- Guidelines for Choosing Preschool Toys That Will Last
- DIY Doorway Puppet Theatre {Tutorial}
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 0-3 Months
- Structured Playtime with Siblings
- Learning Time
- Musical Science: Easy Way to Introduce Sound Waves to Kids
- Helping Kids Stay Sane When Stuck Indoors
- Preschool Curriculum eBook Giveaway
- 5 Fun and Simple Christmas Activities for Kids
- Reading to Infants
- Babes, Tots, and Kids: 52 Weeks of Preschool
- Babes, Tots, and Kids: 52 Weeks of Preschool
- Recent Playtime Posts
- How To Do Tummy Time Even if Baby Hates It
- Wake Time Length (Wake Windows)
- Sleep Pressure for Babies
- Structuring a Pretoddler’s Day: 15-18 Months Old
- Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
- Best Toys for Toddler: 18-24 Months
- More Playtime Tips, Ideas, and Help
- The Cornerstone for Good Naps
- A Simple Toy Rotation for Busy Moms
- What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
- How To Get Your Baby Playing Independently
- Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
- 12 Best Video Games for Kids Moms Will Feel Good About
- Sleep Pressure for Babies
- 35 Best Toys for PreToddler: 12-18 Months
- Reader Favorites: Toddler Toys
- Best Toys for Baby: Ages 10-12 Months
- Reader Favorites: Preschooler Toys
- Structuring a Pretoddler’s Day: 15-18 Months Old
- Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
- Play Time for Children: Baby-Kids
- Reader Favorites: Pre-Toddler Toys
- 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.
How To Get Your Child to Happily Play Alone
How To Start Independent Playtime Late
Room Time Setup for Independent Playtime
McKenna Baby Summary: Week 35
Poll Results: What was baby’s independent playtime length for 6-7 months old?
Poll Results: AT WHAT AGE DID YOU START YOUR CHILD IN ROOMTIME?
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!
Road Trip Activities for Kids
Best Educational Games for Toddlers and Preschoolers!
Great Bicycles You Can Buy From Amazon {Friday Finds}
Guidelines for Choosing Preschool Toys That Will Last
DIY Doorway Puppet Theatre {Tutorial}
Best Toys for Baby: Ages 0-3 Months
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.
Musical Science: Easy Way to Introduce Sound Waves to Kids
Helping Kids Stay Sane When Stuck Indoors
Preschool Curriculum eBook Giveaway
5 Fun and Simple Christmas Activities for Kids
Reading to Infants
Babes, Tots, and Kids: 52 Weeks of Preschool
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
How To Do Tummy Time Even if Baby Hates It
Wake Time Length (Wake Windows)
Sleep Pressure for Babies
Structuring a Pretoddler’s Day: 15-18 Months Old
Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
Best Toys for Toddler: 18-24 Months
More Playtime Tips, Ideas, and Help
The Cornerstone for Good Naps
A Simple Toy Rotation for Busy Moms
What to Do When Baby’s Awake Time Is Before Feedings
How To Get Your Baby Playing Independently
Very Best Toys for Toddlers: 2 and Up
12 Best Video Games for Kids Moms Will Feel Good About
Sleep Pressure for Babies
35 Best Toys for PreToddler: 12-18 Months
Reader Favorites: Toddler Toys
Best Toys for Baby: Ages 10-12 Months
Reader Favorites: Preschooler Toys
Structuring a Pretoddler’s Day: 15-18 Months Old
Independent Playtime: The Ultimate Overview
Play Time for Children: Baby-Kids
Reader Favorites: Pre-Toddler Toys
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
- Blanket Time Full Guide: Teach Baby to Sit Still
- 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
- 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
