We often think of play as the domain of early childhood. But play is essential across the developmental spectrum—even (and maybe especially) during the turbulent, in-between years of early adolescence. In both toddlers and tweens, play supports the development of core skills, meets deep emotional needs, and strengthens relationships with adults and peers. Understanding what play does can help us prioritize it—even when it feels inconvenient, silly, or hard to make time for.

Learn how to help both toddlers and teens understand the concept of consent, bodily autonomy, and their rights and responsibilities.

Learn about strategies for building emotional vocabulary and navigating big feelings with toddlers and teens.

Both toddlers and teens crave the structure that routines bring and the emotional security rituals offer.

Learn practical strategies for encouraging autonomy and independence for toddlers and teens.

Learn why relationships matter so much for both early childhood and early adolescence and how we can foster them as parents and educators.

"Littles and Middles" is a blog series about the parallels between early childhood (0-3) and early adolescence (10-15).