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Top Tips

Give lots of praise when your child plays well
Use age-appropriate toys that challenge your child's understanding

Gently encourage your child to play with puzzle toys

Aim for your child to increase learning in small stages

Let your child choose what toys to play with, most of the time

Prove that you are interested by watching your child at play

Be sympathetic when your child becomes frustrated in play

Avoid comparing the way your child plays with the way another child plays

Brag to your friends and relatives about your child's play achievements in front of them

Give your child a cuddle sometimes during play.

Hundreds of fun play ideas - that won't cost you a bean!

Early Learning Centre are wonderfully supportive of Netmums and of our children too! They believe that play is as important for children as good food or love.

They have joined forces with Polly and Suzy, (authors of bestselling books "I'm Bored!" and "I'm Bored ... Again!" and weekly columnists in The Times) to create...

The brand new
ELC Play Ideas website

There are literally hundreds of fun ideas for play that cost nothing (except perhaps a cardboard box or a pen). The ideas are categorised to be suitable for your child's age, and also so that you can select one of these three types of play:

A mix of active, imaginative and creative play makes for a brilliantly balanced diet of play

Some children prefer to spend most of their time with creative play, some with imaginative play and others with active play. There is nothing wrong in liking one toy or game in particular, but a balanced diet of play is best for development. In other words, it's good for your child to play in lots of different ways.

Each type of play contributes in its own way to all-round psychological progress. Your child gets something different out of playing with different toys. Encourage your child to achieve a balanced diet of play by offering a regular change of play activities. You can suggest new types of games and new toys.

You can even send in your own play ideas and if they get added to the site you'll receive a £20 ELC gift card.

So visit elc.co.uk/play today for hundreds of fun play ideas that won't cost you a bean.

For babies:
Sofa cushion scrumble
Sock show
Tumbling Towers

For toddlers:
Going on safari
Crayontastic
Washing up bowl

For ages 3 - 6:
If I were King
Potato people
Welly wanging

Visit the Play website