Incorporate a moment of play

Today’s post is by Chloe Varelidi is an award-winning toy designer and the creator of follies, a beautiful toy that will have your kids building their own life-size play space launching today.

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As a professional toy designer, you would think I have it all sorted out when it comes to keeping my kids playing during the pandemic. No playdates? No playgrounds? No random playing with dirty sticks? No problem.

Instead, when the pandemic hit, you would say I also hit a literal play block. Blame it on the exhaustion (desperation?) all of us are feeling right now, but when my four-year-old would ask me, “What shall we play?” I stared somewhere outside the window.

Yet, as time passed and my children resorted to playing without me, the joy and resilience they found in their make-believe worlds gave me new hope. Play helped both me and my children face this stressful time.

This week, try a small moment of play every day — a silly dance at breakfast, using a funny voice to announce dinner, or racing your partner through the hallway. Whatever it is, I promise you that a moment of playing every day might make you a bit more hopeful.