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The Importance of Space

Play Space 101: email One

Welcome to the very first Masterclass of 2023! This month, we will be exploring the concept of ‘environment as the third teacher’ and more specifically, the importance of play spaces.

As a Happy New Year gift, this month I am sharing the materials from my Play SPACE 101 mini course. The full version of this course usually costs $25, but you can access everything here as part of the ‘A Playful Year’ Membership for as little as $5.83 a month.1

January at a Glance:

Newsletter Release Dates

The Importance of Space - 3rd January (this email)

Let’s Get Moving - 10th January

Creating a Space that Encourages Play - 17th January

Play Space Showcase - 24th January

What You’ll Learn in this article:

Today we are going to be exploring your home environment and how it can help make play - and learning - just that little bit easier. 

The truth is, having a prepared home environment is absolutely crucial if you want your child to start playing independently. 

As I scroll through Instagram and Pinterest, I can’t help but notice that the majority of play spaces I see look like they are straight out of a magazine shoot. They are perfectly curated with on-trend colour schemes and to be perfectly frank with you, it looks like a child has never set foot within the space.

At home, our play space has evolved over time. I am very happy with the way it looks right now – there has been trial and error along the way. But more importantly, I also know that my children PLAY in the space. Then spend hours playing imaginary games and using the open-ended toys placed upon the shelves.

Can our space look messy at times? Yes absolutely.

Do all the furniture and toys match? No, not by a long shot.

In this newsletter (and bonus video), we’ll cover:

  • Why play space is so much more than an Instagram trend: Play Space myths versus reality

  • What environment as the third teacher means

  • The 5 benefits of having a play space

What do you receive as a paid subscriber?

  • Access to this article and the other newsletters in this masterclass series (which are released over the course of January 2023)

  • Printable resources

  • Journal prompts and reflection questions

  • Access to the Playful Prompts library

  • Seasonal Rhythms Guide and Printable resources

  • New masterclass topics every month - plus access to previous masterclasses

  • Access to community discussion boards

  • Bonus video overview of each topic

This newsletter is part of the Play Space 101 Masterclass which is exclusive to paid subscribers. To access the content, including printable resources and guides, please click the link below.

The full video is for paid subscribers

How I drink my coffee hot
Home Environment
The home environment is your child's third teacher. Create a welcoming space to help everyone thrive.
Authors
Sian Thomas