Play with Purpose returns

I’m sorry.

It’s been a while.

More than a while, in fact.

If you’ve followed me for some time and know the story of the demise of 100 Toys, you may have an inkling of what’s happened over the past few months. Losing a business is hard, and the ripples spread out over months and years.

Anyway, I’m sure you don’t want the details.

The good news is that I’m back. Properly back. See-me-every-day-on-Instagram back.

And I’ve been working on something new – something I hope will make up for the long silence.

What started as a newsletter refresh has grown into something much bigger. Over the next few days, I’ll introduce it all, piece by piece. You’ll get a short burst of emails this week, then we’ll settle into a simple rhythm: a weekly roundup of newsletters and resources, built to help your child play more independently and joyfully.

Welcome to StoryChild

At this point, I wouldn’t blame you if you needed a reminder of what, exactly, you signed up for.

• Start with the Child (for the under 5s)
• Screen-Free Saturdays (for the over 5s)
• Patterns in Play (on play schemas and how children think)

There’s also the Endless Play Generator, my activity suggestion app. And the (new!) website, where all the resources live (see below).

That part hasn’t changed.

But during the hiatus, I got twitchy. I started writing even more newsletters, this time for babies and preschoolers…

I’ll explain it all in an upcoming email but for now, all you need to know is that I’ve come up with a way to knit it all together in a way that simplifies everything: StoryChild.

Children are different

Maybe you have a toddler who is already speaking in full sentences and starting to draw?

Or a seven-year-old who still loves to get messy in sand and water?

Children don’t move in straight lines.

How can you know what they need to learn next?

Here’s a drawing by my youngest, aged 5.

And here’s one by my eldest, aged 8!

See what I mean?

Both equally bright. Both turned out OK.

But one loved drawing and the other only used it as a tool to plan his next war.

And what about the thorny problem of signing up to learn about toddlers only for your child to swiftly move into the preschool age?

Producing courses, the way I used to at 100 Toys, doesn’t seem to fit anymore.

So I’ve created a world - and filled it with children.

You’ll recognise them, even though they are entirely fictional, because they’re based our own.

Once upon a time in a place you almost recognise…

Elmwood, is a leafy suburb of a city that may or may not be loosely based on where I grew up…

There’s a church hall and a library, a school and a nursery. Above all, though, there are children.

From baby Ben to Yuki the toddler, from nearly-four Sam to big sister Alice, there’s a cast of characters for you to choose from.

We’ll follow them, as Maurice Sendak might say,

through night and day

and in and out of weeks

and almost over a year…

In fact we’ll follow them for much further than a year. We’ll be their companions throughout their childhoods, from birth to eleven.

My big idea

You’ll continue to get the newsletters you signed up for - packed with activities, ideas and theory as before. But, we’ll also follow the developmental journeys of our fictional children.

When your child is two, we’ll explore mark-making and fine motor activities. She’s on the road to writing, though it’s still a long way off. But we’ll also see how Yuki is getting on. She’s two as well, and will be going through the year, week by week, at the same time as you. Will she go to the local Reggio-inspired preschool or will her parents opt for the Montessori? Maybe their decision will help you make yours?

Two years later, as you prepare for school, those mark-making activities have become more sophisticated. Now the focus is on pencil grip, letter formation and getting ready for school. How is Yuki getting on? What effect did her preschool choice have?

At every step, we’ll record Yuki’s progress so you can look back at the broad sweep of her development - and forwards - towards where she’s heading. That’s because Sam is 18 months ahead, Alice is 6 and Raj is 8. At any point, you can jump forwards or back and see the bigger picture.

Learn in real time, week by week

What’s the problem with a course?

It sits outside of time. You can start it in September or June and the material stays the same.

But what if it’s December and the latest module is on outdoor play? What if you want to be indoors, creating seasonal crafts? Who wants to be practising gross motor skills in the garden on a dreary winter’s afternoon when you could be at the kitchen table, cutting out paper snowflakes, eating gingerbread and singing along to carols?

In Elmwood, we do things differently. Today is the 19th of May, just as it is there. And the grey skies I see as I look out of the window also hang over the Elmwood children’s afternoon.

This is the month for planting seeds. So this week’s newsletters look at how we can develop fine motor skills.

How old is your child? And how confident?

This time you might follow Yuki (2y 6m) and focus on activities that strengthen grip and encourage larger movements. You’ll find her in the garden, digging with a trowel and pulling up weeds and radishes.

Or perhaps you’ll tag along with Sam (3y 8m), who is with Grandpa in his greenhouse, carefully pushing sunflower seeds into pots freshly filled with compost.

Raj (8y 6m), is beyond such earthly pursuits. Armed with his new microscope, he slices leaves and petals and uses his tweezers to ever-so-carefully lift insect wings onto slides. His work is precise. Have you ever tried placing a cover slip over a specimen? It’s not easy! Raj is working at the intersection of fine motor skills and the executive functions. His work demands skill, patience and self-control.

These are the kinds of scenes you’ll find in every issue – grounded in developmental theory, brought to life through story. I’ll give you the tools to support your child’s independence, creativity, and confidence – and the reassurance to trust her pace.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. I’ll tell you all about Elmwood in the next email.

Thank you for showing such faith in me to reappear. I can’t wait to share everything I’ve created for you.

What to expect this week

• Tuesday: Welcome to Elmwood - Meet The Children of Elmwood and explore their world
• Wednesday: Spring to School - First issues featuring Sam (3y 8m), our preschool hero
• Thursday: Patterns in Play - Reimagined as a standalone schema resource
• Friday: Start with the Child - Featuring Yuki (2y 6m) and friends
• Saturday: Endless Play Generator launch - Our activity suggestion app gets a refresh

After this introduction week, we’ll settle into our regular rhythm: one weekly newsletter for each age group, all connected through the world of Elmwood.

Look out for more emails tomorrow as I begin introducing each of the revamped modules – and the world of Elmwood.

Happy playing!

Alexis

P.S. The backlog. I have a huge number of articles for you, already written and waiting to be published. I’ll release them over the coming days as I get feedback from you about the changes I’ve made (look out for a couple of polls in the Elmwood emails that follow this one). I’m experimenting with the format and illustration styles and plan to add audio and animated content too. Once I know you’re happy with the new direction, I’ll publish the posts in bulk.