As the leaves turn golden and the school year segues into cozy evenings, this month’s newsletter invites families and educators to lean into the power of play—especially at home. Bridging home and school through play isn’t just delightful; it’s transformative. Here’s why it matters, how to weave it into daily rhythms, and a couple of fun fall ideas to spark your fall creative spark. These ideas are designed for famililes to enjoy, for programs to share with parents and for advocates to illustrate the joy and ease of play at home.
Why Play at Home Matters
Play isn’t leisure—it’s learning. Research shows that just five minutes a day of caregiver-child play can deepen relationships and reduce parental stress. Whether it’s solving puzzles together, building forts, or sorting socks imaginatively, these moments nurture problem-solving, self-regulation, creativity, and joy.
At home, play extends beyond toys—it’s about routines, everyday objects, and shared imagination. Infants, for example, learn spatial and motor skills simply by exploring household items like pots, boxes, or shape-sorters.(NYU Steinhardt). Collection and open-ended exploration of such objects—and even mundane tasks like organizing clothes—become rich “work/play” opportunities.
Bringing Play into Daily Home Routines
Simple tasks at home can be fun and are great opportunities for language development, story telling and memory sharing! Here are a few to try:
- Welcome Harvest Helpers: Turn collecting leaves, placing them into families by color or shape, or making leaf rubbings, into playful and sensory-rich experiences.
- Laundry Sort Relay: Turn sock sorting into a timed game—matching pairs, naming colors, discussing textures—all playful and purposeful.
- Dinner Story Jam: While washing veggies or setting the table, take turns adding to a story. It’s playful, language-rich, and spontaneous.
- Book & Blanket Fort Hour: Create cozy spaces for reading and play. Let your child lead imaginative stories sparked by the environment you co-create.
Tips for Adults in a Child’s Life
When selecting activities to work together with children, remember that development and abilities are important considerations, as is growing responsibility and skills. Starting simply with the youngest child while increasing steps or language used makes tasks more fun and gives children important validation as they complete activities that contribute to their family and home.
Here are some ideas to try:
- Inspire parents with simple prompts— “play with everyday objects,” “story-tell at supper,” or “design a sock game”.
- Encourage consistency over complexity: A short, joyful daily play moment beats a rare long event.
- Frame play as essential, not optional: Share research—like the benefits of brief caregiver play or the harm in over-scheduling—to unite home and school priorities.
Fall Activity Picks
In early education we often remind others that “anything that can be inside can be done outside” and this applies with many home activities as well. Sorting socks from a basket under a tree, pairing gathered leaves at the kitchen table or separating recycled items in the garage can all become memorable and valuable experiences wherever they happen!
- “Leaf Match-Up”: Gather multicolored fall leaves and have children group them by shade, size, or type. Extend with drawing or storytelling about each leaf.
- “Cozy Sock Hunt”: Hide socks around the house and invite kids to find and match them. Use it as a chance to chat about routines or the fall weather while sorting.
Together, families and schools can Advocate, Celebrate, and Talk (A.C.T.) for Play. Embrace those dull afternoons, standing desks turned into forts, mismatched socks, laughter during chores, and stories at supper—they’re not distractions; they’re foundational moments of connection and growth.
Here’s to a fall filled with playful routines, shared stories, and proud A.C.T.ing for play at home and school!
