Ages 3-5

Boy smiling and sitting with lion puppet

8 Ways A Simple Puppet Can be the Best Parenting Hack

Playing with a puppet is more than just fun and games. Watch Child’s Play NY teachers use puppets to get kids communicating about emotions and using empathy. This is an essential tool in the parenting arsenal to help manage behavior and get in touch with our children’s rich emotional lives. Happy puppeteering!

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Boy popping head out of box with toy roof on head

Gifts for Kids to Spark Curiosity and a Love of Learning

While I love a good pillow fort, I also appreciate the value of quality games and toys! Here’s four fabulous gifts for kids that tickle the brain and capitalize on the kind of learning that inspires them. These are all less than $15 and are super portable too. I like these for road trips or for after-dinner playing with your kids. Happy gifting!

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Boys and girls acting and showing emotion with expression and hand gestures

Emotions Charades and Other Games to Support Feeling Kids

Emotions Charades is a super fun and incredibly potent tool to help support EQ and empathy in our kids. Use these tips from our theater classrooms to inspire your games and learn about other playful ways that help kids come to terms with their emotions. In these highly charged times we live in, kids need support in identifying and expressing their feelings…let’s do it through play!

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road trip car games happy kid

How To Have The Best Road Trip With Your Kids This Summer

Maximize the playing on your next road trip with these tried and true games for backseat fun! Enjoy some quality screen-free family time and help kids process emotion and tell stories. These theater games are road tested for your vacation pleasure!

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outdoor portrait of a cute young girl reading a book

6 Essential Books for Kids that Make Social-Emotional Learning Fun

What a parenting relief to find great kids lit that helps kids identify and process emotion! These 6 books, recommended by a librarian and a theater teacher, can boost kids’ emotional intelligence and help them manage complex feelings.

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joyful parent bonding and IQ boosting

Boost Kids’ IQ and Joy with this Simple, Silly Game

This simple and silly theater game supports your child’s brain development and creates new neural pathways that build positivity and help them crave bonding! Beyond boosting IQ, this game is pure pleasure to play and can be that parent hack that you need for everything from picky eaters to tricky sleepers. Enjoy setting up your silly store!

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daughter gives me so much happiness - piggybacking on mom

How to Talk to Kids with Humor and Fun (About the Big Stuff)

If you are hankering to talk to your kids about the big stuff, or help them process emotions, then you should play Taxi! This classic theater game is adaptable for all ages and provides kids with a safe and sweet space to share feelings with you. Use it to bond with your kids when you have a little down-time and know that they are also benefitting from the social-emotional learning (SEL) and Executive Function work-out that this game gives them. Watch the video to learn about the benefits and the ways to play.

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Halloween class with Child's Play NY

These Halloween games are the best for family fun

Halloween games help kids flex their imaginative muscles, build empathy and bond with you and their buddies. Simple theater exercises – with a Halloween theme – can make playing their role so much more fun! Here are my favorite games for at-home play and even for a Halloween party!

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