There is nothing more affirming than to hear the laughter and the excited joy on the face of a child engaged in play.

I have no doubt that the, “Magic Mum”, or other magic adult, can motivate children to learn through play. In play they can strengthen a child’s optimism. Children gain confidence and strength from the fact that they feel cared for. Playing together supports independence. “Magic Adults”, give children the freedom to take an activity in any direction; to be free and creative in thought.

Children love you because of the way you make them feel. The involved and magic adult is remembered fondly by the child. They have a lasting effect on the child’s future capacity to learn and to establish relationships.

In my experience as an educator, I am convinced that parents and other significant adults have an enormous effect on a child’s psychological growth and their success in future learning, long before school age. Undoubtedly children have their own inherent temperaments. Nevertheless, adults who display significant interest in what their child is doing, help to create responsive, disciplined and interested children. The sharing of ideas, feelings and knowledge between adult and child has an accumulative positive effect on learning and development. The ability to express affection is important to later success.

In the activities in, “A World of Play”, the child practices and extends a myriad of skills, problem solves, manages to select the right toys or other resources to complete an activity, uses imagination, develops the language of oral and visual communication, learns respect for rules and authority, finds solutions and connects to adult thinking and decision making. As they mature through play, their attention span lengthens and their ability to take independent control or power over the task increases.

A child who has a wider vocabulary and a greater understanding of his world will master the tasks of school more quickly. This has an obvious roll on effect. Peers see the child as more competent, which in turns continues to lend confidence to the child.  A confident child has the courage to risk-take and give all manner of learning tasks a go. Such confidence also helps in resisting the bullying or negative dominance of peers during play.

Would they manage this learning on their own in completely undirected play? I do not think so.
The effects of your involvement with a child are always difficult to quantify. The benefits are subtle. Children however value what you do, much more than they listen to what you say! Your direct interaction and involvement with their play will undoubtedly:

• Create confidence and a sense of being valued and loved because they see you as giving them real undivided attention, time and interest.
• Support the acquisition of physical and social skills in a safe and non pressured environment.
• Let them experience a strong sense of connection through the feelings, family stories and books you are willing to share in play. These positive connections are vitally important.

Each relationship between a child and an adult is unique and complex. Children find it easier to identify with extended family members or other significant adults, if the adults seem to portray the same values or same interests as their parents. Part of the value of the chapters in, “A World of Play” is that:

• The activities can be played and repeated by many others in a consistent manner.
• Partners and extended family are the “magic Mums”, and can continue to be supportive in taking their share of family responsibilities of play and child relationships with confidence.