Tania Johnson | August 20th, 2025

As September unfolds and backpacks fill with school supplies, there is often a quiet shift in the home. The slower days of summer give way to schedules, homework, and a sense of structure. For many families, the return to school feels like the end of play — the end of long afternoons in the backyard, quiet moments with LEGO, or imaginative adventures on the living room floor.

But play should not disappear just because the school bell is ringing. In fact, now is when children need it most.

Why Play Still Matters During the School Year

Play is not a luxury. It is not just for weekends or after all the chores are done. Play is essential. It is how children make sense of their world, process emotions, build relationships, and develop key cognitive and social skills. When children play, they are not just having fun. They are learning. They are growing. They are healing.

The research is clear — children who have access to unstructured, imaginative play are better able to manage stress, regulate emotions, and engage in meaningful learning. After a long day of rules, expectations, and sitting still, play gives children a way to release, reset, and reconnect.

Play Supports Learning and Emotional Wellbeing

From a brain-based perspective, play helps integrate new information. It gives the brain space to consolidate learning, explore different ideas, and practice problem-solving. Emotionally, it offers a safe space to process feelings — including those that come with school-related challenges like separation anxiety, peer conflicts, or academic pressure.

For younger children, play often becomes the language through which they express what they cannot yet say. A tower knocked down may reflect frustration. A game of “school” may reveal worries or wishes. For older children, playful moments still matter. Laughter, movement, and creative expression are all part of what helps regulate the nervous system.

How to Protect Play During Busy Seasons

Even in the midst of full schedules and growing to-do lists, there are ways to keep play present in a child’s life:

1. Create White Space: Not every hour needs to be filled. Protecting some open time each day — even just 30 minutes — allows for free, child-led play. This space helps prevent overwhelm and offers a natural reset.
2. Say Yes to Imagination: When your child wants to turn the couch into a fort or pretend the backyard is a jungle, lean in if you can. These imaginative games are how they practice problem-solving, storytelling, and emotional expression.
3. Follow Their Lead: You do not need to direct the play. Simply sitting nearby and letting your child take the lead can be incredibly connecting. Your presence says, “What matters to you matters to me.”
4. Prioritize Play Before Performance: Especially during stressful times, play should come before extra academic work. A child who feels safe, calm, and connected will be far more able to learn in the long run.
5. Include Play in Routines: Play does not need to be separate from daily life. Turn clean-up into a game. Add music to the morning routine. Invite silly voices or movement into bedtime stories. Play can live in the ordinary moments too.

A Gentle Reminder

As adults, it is easy to feel the pull toward productivity. We worry about preparing our children for what lies ahead. But in our rush to teach and correct and organize, we can forget that play already does so much of the work for us.

Play builds resilience. It helps children regulate. It strengthens relationships. It is not wasted time — it is deeply meaningful.

Final Thoughts

The school year will ask a lot from our children. They will need to focus, adjust, follow rules, and meet expectations. In the midst of all that, let’s make sure they also have time to just be children.

So say yes to the silly voices. Make space for the mess. Sit down and build the block tower. These moments may seem small, but they are shaping the way your child feels about themselves, their world, and their place in it.

And in the end, those are the things that matter most.

Author: Tania Johnson, R. Psych., RPT

Tania Johnson is a registered Psychologist, registered Play Therapist, Co-Founder of the Institute of Child Psychology, and best-selling author of The Parenting Handbook

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