Heuristic play: How toddlers learn through discovery
Babies ask: what is this like? Toddlers ask: what does this do? This subtle shift opens up the world to exploration.
Latest
Attachment Play
Habits
Nudges vs habits: how to make independent play effortless
Nudges make play appealing; habits make play inevitable.
Stop being the entertainer: build play habits that let your child succeed on her own
Habit | The photo journal
Habit | Three tries
Introducing The Play Habits: Embedding play into daily life
Habit | Work in progress
Habit | One thing at a time
Nudges
Loss aversion: encourage more play with FOMO
We all have a fear of missing out. Who wants to miss the party when there's fun to be had? It's a powerful motivator, so why not use it to movitate play?
Present bias: why now matters more than later
Commitment devices: keeping your promise to play
Nudges vs habits: how to make independent play effortless
Make play inevitable: how nudges guide your child towards independent play
Be your own nudge unit
Use nudges to inspire independence
Patterns in Play
The not-quite-schemas: Repetitive patterns that make sense of play
You've seen them before - the quiet rituals of childhood. The stacking. The scattering. The careful line of pebbles on a wall. These aren't random patterns - they're purposeful explorations. This guide helps you recognise what your child is really working on.
The pattern I couldn't see
The trajectory schema: Which way will you go?
Unlock your child's hidden play patterns: Chris Athey's breakthrough schemas
Introducing Patterns in Play
Schemas and free-flow play: A perfect match
Decoding Play
The Play Tools
The Play Tools: A reset button for play
Does your child ever get distracted? Is she sometimes too agitated to settle? Are there days when you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires, that it’s all tears and no play?
Right-brain reset
What’s missing?
Three things to do
The grounding touch
Task timer challenge
An introduction to attachment play
Elmwood
How StoryChild works: your subscriber journey
StoryChild is your weekly how-to guide for raising a confident, independent child – through practical tips, playful rhythms, and the unfolding lives of the children of Elmwood.
Through a child’s eyes: A tour of Elmwood
Meet Sam
Oh! The Places You'll Go! From Ben to Daisy, birth to eleven and beyond
Meet the children of Elmwood
