The best gift we can give young children is time and opportunity to PLAY which helps to develop kindergarten readiness and life-long skills. In the words of David Elkind:
At Christmas, our to-do lists are more than full but kids love to play some of those same things.They will pretend to shop, buy things, wrap them, and decorate. They will be the elves and create toys, make lists, mail letters, dance like a music box ballerina, or be a sleigh flying around the world. They’ll build and draw and color and cook. These activities that seem like work to us will be their play, even the vacuuming–complete with ‘elf-suit’. Plus, they will use their own ideas. Santa might come for tea, after he’s had a sleep. Ordinary plastic containers will become a tower to light up the sky. Play will reflect their growing engagement with the world. What better gift could we give our children?
