Why Play Matters: Supporting Early Years Development in Wales
Play often looks simple – a toddler stacking blocks, a child splashing in puddles, a game of peekaboo that never seems to get old. But for young children, play isn’t just fun. It’s how they learn, grow, and make sense of the world around them.
Why is play so important in early years development?
In a child’s earliest years, play is one of the most powerful tools for development. Through play, children build language and communication skills, develop social and emotional understanding, strengthen problem-solving abilities, and build physical coordination.
Play is also how children learn to regulate their emotions, build resilience, and form secure attachments with the adults around them. Often, it’s through play – rather than direct instruction – that a young child first learns to take turns, share, negotiate, and cope with frustration.
Because of this, play is recognised as a fundamental right of the child under Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – not simply a nice extra, but something every child is entitled to.
Wales and the right to play
Wales has been a genuine leader on this issue. Under the Children and Families (Wales) Measure 2010, local authorities across Wales have a legal duty – known as the Play Sufficiency Duty – to assess and secure sufficient play opportunities for children in their area. It’s one of the only legal duties of its kind in the world, and it reflects just how seriously play is taken as part of children’s wellbeing here.
Play Wales is the national organisation for children’s play in Wales. Their website is a fantastic resource for parents, carers and professionals, offering practical guidance, research, and campaigns supporting children’s right to play – including their long-running work on risk, outdoor play, and play in the early years.
For the latest Welsh Government guidance on the Play Sufficiency Duty, visit gov.wales and search “play sufficiency.”
Four simple ways to support play at home
Play doesn’t need to be expensive, complicated, or Pinterest-perfect. Here are four easy ways parents and carers can bring more play into everyday life:
- Follow their lead. Let your child choose the game, even if it seems repetitive. Following their lead builds confidence and shows them their ideas matter.
- Turn everyday tasks into play. Sorting laundry by colour, “helping” stir dinner, or counting steps on the way to school all count as valuable play.
- Get outside, even for ten minutes. Puddle jumping, collecting leaves, or a short walk supports physical development and safe exploration.
- Talk and narrate as you go. Describing what you’re doing together builds language naturally, without it feeling like a lesson.
How Home-Start supports play in Welsh families
For many of the families we work with, play doesn’t always come easily – and that’s rarely down to a lack of love or effort. Parents dealing with isolation, poor mental health, a new baby, or the demands of a child with additional needs can find it hard to find the time, energy, or confidence to play with their children in the way they’d like to.
This is where our volunteers step in. Rather than simply telling parents that play matters, our trained volunteers get stuck in alongside them – modelling simple, low-cost play ideas and helping parents see play as something achievable, not another item on an already overwhelming to-do list.
Over time, this support does more than fill an afternoon. It helps rebuild parents’ confidence, strengthens the bond between parent and child, and helps give children the best start in life – all through the simple, joyful act of play.
Get involved
If you know a family who could benefit from a bit of extra support, or if you’re interested in volunteering with Home-Start, we’d love to hear from you.
