3 Reasons It's SO Important to Stop Interrupting Independent Play

It can be so tempting to intervene in your child’s playtime when they’re young:

• We ask questions - “are you hungry?”
• We offer ideas - “what if you built a boat?”
• We suggest a new activity - “do you want to go to the park now?”

But uninterrupted play is so beneficial.

Dr. Montessori incorporated uninterrupted play into her classrooms via the 3-hour work cycle.  

This was a 3-hour period where children were free to independently work with any of the materials in the classroom, developing their independence, concentration and more.  

She did this because she found uninterrupted play helped to:

1. Develop independence - when children are given the freedom to play without interruption or adult interference, they learn how to make their own decisions. They learn what they enjoy or don’t enjoy, directing their own learning and solving their own problems.  
   
   2. Develop concentration and focus - working without interruption helps children to develop their focus, longer attention spans, and a better ability to stay engaged.  
   
   3. Encourage creativity and imagination - when children are free to play for as long as they want, their imaginations develop. They’re able to experiment and fully explore their ideas.  When children have time and space to follow their own interests, this leads to imaginative thinking, which is the foundation for creativity.

How To Encourage Uninterrupted Play At Home

This is the easy part - just give your child space when they’re playing…. let them be!

Depending on your child’s age, just ensure all the toys your child will be playing with during this time are safe to be explored independently. And then step back.  

If your child wants to play with you during this time, that’s okay too, but allow them to lead the way.  

A helpful strategy that Montessori teachers learn to avoid interfering in a child’s work or play is to ‘sit on your hands’. 

Give them time to work through challenges or explore new ideas.