This is a game of touch and reconnection to play when you greet your child after school or after being apart for a while.
At the Monte Cassino School – early private education, we encourage parents to take part in developmental activities with their children whenever they have the time. This is a pretty simple but effective one. Upon greeting your child after being apart, you say “what did you bring home today?!” Begin to name body parts and special things about the child such as the color eyes or special features like a button nose or juicy cheeks. Touch each part that you name and focus on the child and their specialness instead of any items they might have or other objects. The idea is to really notice the child as a person instead of objects and things they do and appreciate them for just being them in a playful way. (If they bring you art objects or other things to show you, see if they will let you see them first, but flex as needed.)
If you have older children who may be “too old” or embarrassed by this type of attention, adapt to fit them and name only as many parts as you think they would be comfortable, still touching them (in private!) so they feel your affection, but are not terribly embarrassed. Another idea for older kids may be to remember with them special things about them from childhood – like the special way their hair grew. Gently see if it’s still true!
If you have younger children from whom you’re rarely separated, this can be played as a modified game of peekaboo or a pretend game where you pretend to go away and then come back right away as if you were gone and then greet them accordingly.
Today’s play tip is from Becky Bailey’s book “I Love You Rituals” p.145