Episode

The science of play: How shared activities transform family dynamics

Podcast
The Voice of Early Childhood
Published
Oct 13, 2025
Duration seconds
2430
Processing state
not_requested
Canonical source
https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/the-science-of-play-how-shared-activities-transform-family-dynamics/
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https://dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/traffic.libsyn.com/secure/decd6f39-4851-4730-ba8f-070dbd282579/Kinder.mp3?dest-id=3970080
JSON
/v1/public/podcasts/the-voice-of-early-childhood-6315746/episodes/the-science-of-play-how-shared-activities-transform-family-dynamics
Markdown
/podcast/the-voice-of-early-childhood-6315746/the-science-of-play-how-shared-activities-transform-family-dynamics.md

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Summary

New research reveals the profound impact of play on family bonding, language development, and emotional connection Kinder and the University of East London's Institute for the Science of Early Years released preliminary research exploring how play ignites language skills, builds emotional connection, and bridges family disconnect. Using wearable technology monitoring real-time responses during home play sessions, the study demonstrates that simple play moments spark joy, encourage language development, reduce stress, and nurture emotional wellbeing. Read the article here: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/t he-science-of-play-how-shared-activities-transform-family-dynamics/ This episode is sponsored by Kinder: To find out more visit: https://www.kinder.com/ The Kinder® brand was founded in 1968 and is inspired by bringing small but special moments to everyday life. Kinder creates innovative products made for sharing, family and togetherness across all ages. Kinder products include Kinder Surprise, Kinder Chocolate and Kinder Bueno. Our 2026 conference info & tickets: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/early-years-conference-2026/ Listen to more: If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like: · It's time to rethink attention, by Professor Sam Wass and Dr Gemma Goldenberg: https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/its-time-to-rethink-attention/ Get in touch and share your voice: Do you have thoughts, questions or feedback? Get in touch here! – https://thevoiceofearlychildhood.com/contact/ Episode break down: 00:00 – Welcome & introduction 02:45 – Research on play in the home vs the lab 05:25 – Shared & non-functional play 09:30 – Synchrony & connectedness during play 15:00 – Shared rhythm & parent-child relationships 16:30 – Semantic interrelatedness 20:00 – Child ini…