In a world where everyone is constantly ‘busy’, busy with work and running hectic lives and busy feasting upon and feeding the array of attention draining Apps that live in our pockets, we seem devoid of time to down tools (including phones and tablets!)… and play.

It is well documented that play is critical in a child’s development. Play allows children to use their creativity whilst developing their imagination, dexterity, and cognitive, physical, and emotional strengths. Play is also vital for healthy brain development. With such powers that play provides it really shouldn’t end once you leave childhood. It should form a continuous part of our learning and our lives - to regularly spark our creativity - at home but also in the work place.

I feel incredibly lucky that I have (an almost) 3 year old to play with, who teaches me about play and reminds me just how important play is in all forms of life. This morning, before work/nursery, we were playing with little hedgehogs in a playhouse, last night we were cooking plastercine cakes and at the weekend we were rolling about in paint. Each time we play is great fun, ignites a spark of inspiration but is also hard work - to keep the play enjoyable. It gives the imagination a real work out, which hopefully benefits the little grey cells for years to come.

It is through play that children engage and interact in the world around them. For us grown ups… with work able to access us 24/7 and mobile phones dominating our lives, play seems even more necessary to rekindle our engagement with the important aspects of life and of the world in which we live.