The Gift Of Play

The Gift of Play celebrates play at the heart of relationships between grandparents and their young grandchildren. Dr. Judith Van Hoorn, long-time grandmother and expert on young children's play, weaves professional insights with grandparents' wisdom and favorite stories to show the joy and importance of play in the lives of grandchildren, grandparents, and the whole family.

• Grandparent and grandchild play supports young children's development.
• Grandparent and grandchild play deepens loving relationships.
• Grandparent and grandchild play creates lasting memories.

Grandparents and grandchildren play because it's fun for everyone. Practical tips help grandparents discover new ideas for play, both in person and online.

The Gift of Play highlights the powerful role of play in young children's development and learning-social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and language. Grandparents' real-life stories illuminate each chapter, from reading a favorite book to a toddler online, to speeding toy cars down ramps, to taking a neighborhood nature walk, to making a joint collage.

Play is essential for grandparents, too. Play provides the respite and energy that grandparents need for renewal. It is an opportunity for grandparents to recapture their childlike sense of wonder, and a time to revel in spontaneous boisterous fun. It is a special time to feel and express love.

New and experienced grandparents will delight in this light-hearted book filled with charming stories, colorful family photos, insights, and practical tips for playful activities. The Gift of Play is a perfect gift for grandparents and everyone with a special young child in their life.

The Gift of Play links Dr. Judith Van Hoorn's personal passion with her professional expertise. Judy first became intrigued with young children's play in the 1970s when she was the mother of young children and worked for the Head Start program. She is now professor emerita at the University of the Pacific where she taught child development courses for many years. Judy is co-author of numerous books and articles on play, including Play at the Center of the Curriculum, the international bestselling textbook on play, and Looking at Children's Play. She is active in organizations that work to improve the lives of young children and is a recipient of the American Psychological Association's Presidential Citation for outstanding psychologists. Judy's favorite times are those spent playing with her husband and their four active grandchildren. Her grandchildren range in age from 3 to 19 years old, so she gets to play pretend and build with blocks with the younger ones, but also gets to hike, cook, and joke around with teenagers, and sing and dance with them all.