What Does "Child-Led Play" REALLY Look Like?

When you play with your child, the best way to do it is to let them be the boss! This helps them feel strong and creative. It means you watch what they like to play, then you join in their game, and let them tell you what to do.

A significant aspect of this is the concepts of "ascent" and "consent" at play.

Ascent is like showing you're super excited about what they want to play. It's not just saying "okay," but showing you're really interested and ready to have fun with their idea.

Consent is simply saying "yes" when they ask you to start playing their game.

When you pay attention to both "ascent" and "consent," it makes sure that playing together is fun for everyone, respectful, and that your child is truly leading the game. So, go with their ideas, add to their stories, and remember, you're like a helpful sidekick in their awesome adventure!

You can see what this looks like in action in our video! It shows our ABA Director and a behavior technician playing with a child, letting the child lead the way.