The Benefits of Play and Fun!

Our kids are naturally curious explorers who can easily get caught up in their own world of make believe and play! It’s wonderful to experience and it’s vital to their growth and development. BUT we don’t have to take on the role of full-time entertainer, and our kids don’t need us to (it’s also not a crime if our kids are bored!). My guest, Dr. Jody LeVos, explains all of this and talks about how play helps kids develop social emotional skills, cognitive abilities, solve problems, develop physically, and most importantly, make sense of and explore the world around them. The best part about play is that it’s FUN! Life is heavy enough and having fun is good for all of us. In this episode, Dr. LeVos and I talk about different kinds of play, how it meets multiple needs for your kiddos, builds connection and creates moments that are remembered for a lifetime. I know you’ll love hearing this conversation and Dr. LeVos and I hope you will leave the episode wanting to do something fun with your kids, you’ll never regret it! For fun activity pages from BEGIN, you can download them from the Parent Toolbox. www.parent-toolbox.com And check out their website for discount codes! beginlearning.co
About Dr. Jody LeVosJody LeVos, Ph.D., currently serves as Chief Learning Officer at BEGiN. She has been designing early learning experiences for children and families, and overseeing the development of curriculum and play-to-learn products (digital apps, toys, books, and movies), for more than a decade. She’s had the great honor of working at some of the world’s best-known ed-tech, children’s media, and toy companies, including LeapFrog, VTech, KidKraft, Mattel, and HOMER. Jody LeVos has a Ph.D. in Developmental Science from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, Canada), focused on children’s mathematical and cognitive development. She has extensive experience providing meaningful data-driven insights for parents, crafting informal learning curricula, leading teams of learning design experts, and advocating the importance of learning through play. She has published 19 peer-reviewed papers and chapters and has contributed to numerous panels and channels, including CES Kids@Play, Hallmark’s “Home and Family,” and the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Screen Time Summit. She co-founded and served a two-year term as Vice President for the Bay Area's chapter of the Children's Media Association, and currently serves as Board Trustee for Explo, an organization focused on helping students from grades 2-12 explore the world, develop agency to pursue their passions, and find their future selves. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two children, cat, and dog, and enjoys training and participating in endurance sports (triathlons, ultra-marathons) in her spare time.
Contact Information:Email: nvelez@5wpr.com
Social Media:Website: beginlearning.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo....dy-sherman-levos-phd https://www.facebook.com/learnwithhomer Instagram: @playmattersphd @learnwithhomer
Thanks for listening! For more on Robbin, her work and free resources, keep reading! Thanks for listening!It means so much to me that you listened to my podcast! If you resonate with my message and would like my personal help in your parenting journey, I’d love to talk to you. Please visit my website to book a call with me where we can talk about your parenting frustrations and I’ll share how I can help you. www.parentingforconnection.comMy intention with my show is to build a community of parents that can have open and honest conversations about parenting without judgement or criticism. We have too much of that!I honor each parent and their path towards bec