push pause
Reflections, valuable insights, hand-picked product recommendations, and so much more, all aimed at enhancing the everyday homes of families!
the mom sanctuary
In the wild, majestic jungles of suburbia lies a rare and sacred place called "The Mom Sanctuary." This hallowed space, often as elusive as a quiet toddler, is a critical habitat for the survival of a species known simply as "Mama."
It's known that moms have ears rivaling the most sophisticated sonar systems.
They can detect a whispered request for snacks from three rooms away or the silent unfurling of a lollipop in the dead of night. The Mom Sanctuary provides space for moms to recalibrate their auditory sensors.
It is also essential for preserving a rare phenomenon called "Mom's Train of Thought."
In the outside world, this delicate train is frequently derailed by an endless barrage of questions, requests and the mysterious disappearance of library books. But, within The Sanctuary, the train chugs along uninterrupted, sometimes completing an entire journey from start to finish!
If you don't have room in your home for a dedicated Sanctuary, fear not! Moms can momentarily hang up their superhero capes and bask in the glory of nothingness right in the comfort of their shower. Let the water pour over your head, drowning out all the noise, and finish that thought!
sorting toys
Sorting toys by color seems like a straightforward and visually appealing solution to containing the chaos. After all, there are professional organizers who firmly believe in the "Rainbow Method" and have basically built empires around it!
But before you apply this approach to your playroom, consider the negative implications it could have.
Did you know that sorting is one of the first math skills that children learn? It lays the foundation for understanding more complex math concepts and helps build categorization skills and pattern recognition.
When the sorting criteria go beyond color, a child is encouraged to think more critically and make more complex classifications. Sorting also enhances observation skills, encouraging children to notice details about the materials they use.
In some contexts, sorting by color can inadvertently reinforce certain stereotypes or biases, limiting exposure to a broader range of experiences and interests.
The bottom line is that the Rainbow Method should not be applied to the playroom.
But, there is one, and only one, scenario where it makes sense to sort by color, and that is when it comes to loose LEGOs. We think it's the only solution!
arts + crafts play
It was recently brought to my attention that I rarely talk about the arts and crafts area of the play space. That is likely because it's my least favorite zone in the room. There, I said it.
It's messy, has so many different materials, and is riddled with open-ended activities. Did I mention it can be messy? The truth is that arts and crafts play a critical role in a child's development, offering more than just a fun activity.
Arts and crafts play an integral role in fostering creativity and self-expression, allowing children to explore and communicate their ideas and feelings in a tangible form. It also helps develop fine motor skills and enhances critical thinking.
But arts and crafts can be messy - even chaotic - and that type of play can be overwhelming for children (and their parents!). There are a few things you can do to help keep things under control:
• Label, label, label, and use one your child will understand.
• Make sure the floor is a wipable surface.
• Pick a location where the chaos can be contained, as close to running water as possible.
If you are tired of finding glitter on your cereal box, glue on your remote, and mysterious lines on your walls, consider creating a designated arts and crafts area in your play space with these simple tips in mind.
pretend play havens
Does your living room often transform into a bustling restaurant, a spaceship, or a secret ninja training camp with your couch cushions as obstacles?
Children learn to navigate the world around them by creating these imaginative scenarios. They develop critical skills like problem-solving and empathy and also have so much fun while doing it.
Pretend play allows children to express feelings and navigate emotions. It expands their vocabulary as they engage in imaginative dialogues, and enhances problem-solving skills.
But we get it. You want your living room to remain as intact as possible! To help keep the chaos contained, we recommend trying to find a designated area where your tiny actors and adventurers can let their imaginations run wild.
Whether it's a corner in the living room or a full playroom, make it their very own pretend play haven with costumes and props and all the things that will help take them to another world!
words from the founder
Nothing makes me cringe more than an Instagram post that starts: "A lot of new faces here, I should reintroduce myself!" (Apologies if you're reading this and have done just that. It's not you, it's me.)
Whether you are a new follower or have been on this journey with us for a while, you will never hear about my favorite condiment (I hate them all, to be honest) or my pet peeves (there are way too many to list). Despite being the founder of Greenwich Play, this page is not about me.
However, I'm told there is value in understanding why you should trust me.
And that I can appreciate.
So, for new and old faces, I present the top ten reasons you should trust me with your playroom, in no particular order.
• I have a master's degree in early childhood general and special education.
• I am a former classroom teacher.
• I am also a former special education itinerant teacher (SEIT), which means I traveled to various classrooms and homes to provide individual support to a child.
• I have two small children of my own (and a larger child known as my husband).
• I do not recommend products I wouldn't use in my home.
• I suffer from sensory processing disorder myself and can easily identify triggers in the space that may be leading to unwanted behaviors.
• I prioritize function over aesthetics but never compromise design.
• I make decisions based on what is most developmentally supportive for your child.
• I have an arsenal of resources in both education and design.
• I have designed and/or consulted on hundreds of commercial and residential projects.
Like the kitchen or a bedroom, the playroom serves a critical purpose in your home.
Designing a purposeful space for a child may seem simple. Still, it takes research, developmentally appropriate resources, and strategic design.
Most of all, it takes someone you can trust (👋🏻) to create the space your children will use to explore, challenge themselves, and play with intent.
reading aloud
Reading aloud is the "single most important activity" an educator or parent can do to ensure future success in reading, according to Becoming a Nation of Readers. That's a lot of weight to put on a simple story!
When you read aloud, especially in an animated way, you promote emerging literacy and language development and foster a love of reading in young learners. Most importantly, it's never too early to start.
Now for the reality of it all: parents are exhausted by the end of the day, and sometimes, a book before bed can feel impossible to do. If you feel like you can't do it, pick a short, funny, entertaining book, zip through it, and say goodnight! (The @mo.willems.studio books are good for this.)
Pro Tip: You can demonstrate how enjoyable and entertaining reading can be using a silly voice, highlighting a word with a unique inflection, and creating a cozy, dedicated space for storytime to occur.
keeping chaos under control
The playroom is one of the areas of the home most prone to mess and disorder. The key to keeping the chaos under control is involving your child in the process of organizing the space.
A playroom in disarray, with too many toys and no clear system, is just as overwhelming for your child as it is for you (and they're the ones supposed to be using the space!).
Demonstrating how to pick up toys, where things go, and what the expected end result should be will go a long way when it comes to your child keeping their space in order.
If you could benefit from additional resources and support to keep your playroom in working order, give us a 👋🏻 in the comments below so we can see you!
keep things simple
One minute, your child is a firefighter saving a burning building; the next, they're delivering pizza to your front door. This happens thanks, in part, to the magic of a pretend play space.
When you provide a child with a designated space to imagine, they are able to make meaningful real-world connections and safely practice developing social, emotional, critical thinking, language, and problem-solving skills.
We encourage families to keep things simple in a pretend play space. This way, it has the ability to transform into:
• a house
• the post office
• a fire station
• a school
• the grocery store
• your favorite ice cream shop
• NASA headquarters
…the possibilities are truly endless❣️
If you're having trouble imagining this space in your own home, click the link in our bio to learn more about how we can help.
hands-on play
Children learn best through hands-on experiences and actively engaging with their environment.
Depending on the area of the playroom, there are different ways to encourage your child to experience their space. Oftentimes, these setups are called "invitations to play."
Our top three tips for creating a successful invitation to play:
•1• Keep things sweet and simple - when the options are kept to a minimum, you can prevent an overwhelming decision-making process and create more time for playing.
•2• Set the area up in a way that makes sense to your child - everything should be accessible and within eyesight.
•3• Let your child make the decisions - you are simply responsible for giving them options!
Encouraging your child to explore, create, and learn in an open-ended way supports their development in areas like language, social skills, and problem-solving (to name only a few).
Physical education
This week, I stood in front of the Board of Education to support our incredible PE teachers and defend our children's best interests.
This is what I said.
Physical education is a critical period of the school day that should always be on the schedule and should never be on the chopping block.
Good Evening. My name is Courtney Gault. I am a GPS parent to a kindergartener and a former teacher specializing in early childhood general and special education.
After moving to Riverside in 2017, I founded Greenwich Play, a company that designs playrooms for families who want to create meaningful play experiences for their children at home.
And a huge part of what we do is make recommendations to families who are eager, almost desperate, to offer their children more physical play opportunities. Not less.
Did you know that when a child climbs up a rope or throws a ball, they are working on improving their handwriting grip and overall coordination?
PE is not about freeze tag, ghost bowling, or any of the other fun activities our incredible teachers facilitate.
PE is about:
• problem-solving
• learning to focus
• testing out how things work
• learning independence
• enhancing communication skills
• resolving conflicts
• being cooperative
• exercising self-regulation
• interacting appropriately with peers
• learning to be flexible
• communicate feelings
• acknowledging personal space
• building friendships
• learning to use equipment
• building confidence
PE is on the chopping block because it’s seen as less essential to academic success, but the evidence and the research suggest otherwise.
As an educational professional, you can see why it’s so difficult for me to understand how you could reduce the amount of time our children spend in this critical period.
I implore you to reconsider where budget cuts are made and give PE the credit it deserves to remain a vital, constant part of the school day.
Thank You.
*The board voted against reducing the PE budget in a vote of 4-3-1. This means three board members voted to reduce time in PE. We must do better for our children.
the parent-child bond
Have you ever noticed that your child will go wherever you go?You're in the bathroom? So are they. Kitchen? They're there, too.
Kids want to be around their parents, and it really doesn't matter where you are. They will find a purpose in being there with you.
The parent-child bond is a fundamental aspect of human development, and it is partly nurtured through shared experiences facilitated by being in the same space!
It is literally your child's innate desire to be near you, they can't help themselves! So we feel pretty strongly that the play space accommodates grownups, too.
If there is nowhere comfortable for you to sit, you hate the wallpaper, it's too bright, has bad acoustics, etc., chances are you're never going to want to go in there and neither will your child.
How your child feels about the space starts with how much you enjoy being there!
happy new year
Our showroom is open after a much-needed holiday break, and some exciting things are happening right behind this door!
We're cooking up new projects, new products, and new offerings all geared toward supporting parents who want to inspire their children to create, explore, and play purposefully at home.
We can't wait to tell you more! In the meantime, it would help us tremendously if you could take a moment and reply to the following question:
What resources could we provide to help you create a play space at home in which your child will have meaningful, lasting experiences? Tell us in the comments below!
Thanks + Happy New Year🥳
clean up time
The other day a friend was over with her two boys, who are the exact same age as mine. When I exclaimed, “Clean up, let’s have a snack,” she just laughed.
play based learning
This may look like a fun and exciting basement (and it is!), but it is also a space filled with essential tools and materials that a child needs to develop critical life skills.
the labels have landed
Visuals offer children a fast and immediate way to grasp concepts and ideas. A picture can instantly convey a message, while words must be processed sequentially for comprehension.
designing for executive functioning
Did you know you can support your child’s development of critical skills - like planning, organization, memory, and impulse control - with the design of a space?
organization tips
Set your child up for success by starting with things organized in a way they can understand. Are the labels clear? Are the materials accessible? Is there a dedicated space inviting play?
love thy label
Every family and every home is unique, but there is always a consistent goal: for children to play in their own space with their own materials, in a purposeful way. So, how do you achieve this?