Independent Play IS Kindergarten Readiness

Let’s get straight to it: you don’t need worksheets, flashcards, or early academics to get your child ready for kindergarten. And you definitely don't need Ms. Rachel.

What you need is independent play.

As an early childhood expert with a master’s degree in ECE and two decades of experience working with young children, I can tell you that the best preparation for school doesn’t come from sitting and memorizing—it comes from the kind of open-ended, child-led play that happens when we step back and let it.

Why Independent Play Matters

Independent play is where all the magic happens. It’s where your child builds the foundation for every skill they’ll need—not just in kindergarten, but for life. And I’m not just talking about academic skills. I’m talking about focus, problem-solving, emotional regulation, and self-confidence. The things that actually matter when your child walks into a classroom for the first time.

Here’s What Independent Play Teaches

Let’s break it down. These are just some of the skills children develop during independent play:

Social-Emotional Skills

• Self-regulation (handling frustration when things don’t go their way)

• Confidence and autonomy

• Emotional resilience

• Problem-solving and conflict resolution (especially in sibling or peer play)

• Empathy and perspective-taking (through role play and storytelling)

Executive Function Skills

• Focus and sustained attention

• Working memory

• Impulse control

• Flexible thinking

• Planning and organization

Language + Literacy Foundations

• Vocabulary expansion

• Storytelling and sequencing

• Symbolic thinking

• Listening and following directions (even in their own made-up games)

• Phonemic awareness (through rhymes, songs, and made-up words)

Math Readiness

• Sorting, categorizing, and patterning

• One-to-one correspondence

• Counting through play (e.g. setting up a pretend shop or tea party)

• Understanding size, shape, and spatial relationships

Fine and Gross Motor Development

• Hand-eye coordination

• Pincer grasp and pre-writing skills (yes, from manipulating blocks, beads, or loose parts)

• Whole-body coordination and balance (climbing, crawling, jumping)

• Core strength and posture needed for sitting at a desk

Creative + Critical Thinking

• Imaginative thinking and storytelling

• Trial and error

• Persistence

• Innovation and inventiveness

• Decision-making

So Why Are We Still Pushing Academics as the only form of Kindergarten Readiness?

Well first. Because companies like lovevery are pushing products to you like "teach your toddler to read". They are actually targeting you through their marketing. Don't fall for it.

Spoiler alert: working on early academics takes away from important brain space that is needed for important skills that can only be developed through...you guessed it...unstructured play.

Second. Society has its priorities all out of whack. They want to rush children through childhood. I'm here to tell you that you should preserve it with lots and lots of play.

And third, because it’s easier to track a worksheet than it is to observe deep, meaningful play. But easy doesn’t mean effective. If you want your child to walk into kindergarten ready to learn—not burned out, anxious, or already tuned out—then prioritize independent play.

This doesn’t mean you need a Pinterest-perfect setup or an Instagram-worthy toy shelf. It means giving your child time, space, and open-ended materials. It means trusting the process. And it means getting out of their way.

Bottom Line

Independent play is early learning. It’s where your child becomes the kind of learner every kindergarten teacher hopes for: curious, confident, capable, and ready to engage.

If you’re overwhelmed by the pressure to “get your child ready” and you’re tempted to buy another workbook or lovevery toy or enroll in yet another prep class—pause. Step back. Set up a simple, supportive space and let them play.

That’s the real prep they need. And it starts at home.