Play, play, and play! Nothing is more exhilarating to a child than to have her parent ask her, “Can I play with you?” Just ordinary, everyday play. No fancy toys. Maybe no toys at all. Fifteen minutes a day is enough to a build powerful, lasting bond with their child.

There are names for this type of play, such as “floor time” or “child-directed play.” Social workers at Holt prefer to call it child-directed play because the name includes the active ingredient: the child directs the play just like a movie director. This type of unstructured, imaginative play gives the child the opportunity to write, cast and direct as the play spontaneously evolves. Kids often stick to one subject or scene over and over like a favorite book, so prepare yourself to get to know a part well and cheerfully play it out even for the twentieth time.[1]