I'm thrilled to welcome some wonderful new faces to Connected Through Play! I'm also trying something new this month and changing my welcome message. I'd love to know if you prefer this style or if you would rather just be welcomed by name? I'll include your first steps to navigating the community in the comment. Let me know what you think. @Senka Kovacevic brings a background in economics and a passion for special education and Montessori she's here for practical advice for teaching her 8-year-old. @Iryna Miroshnychenko, you two share that love of hands-on, curiosity-driven learning, why not connect and swap ideas? @N Nijdam is always searching for new ways to connect with her 4-year-old and lives in Amsterdam. @Stacey Hayward has a 4-year-old and a 9-year-old and is keen for fresh inspiration. @Abs F is raising three high-energy boys and wants purposeful, safe play you three have overlapping ages and goals, so you may want to connect in the comments and share what's working! @Corrie Herrin wants to connect better with both her teenager and kindergartner a beautiful dual challenge. @Shaye Williams is homeschooling five young children and looking for creative connection ideas. @Jen Staniforth, with kids ranging 5–19, may be a perfect match for you both. You may want to check out her Skool community The Baby Sleep Skool. @Iryna Miroshnychenko teaches kids and believes every child is a genius, she's here for experiments and meaningful lessons that spark curiosity. @Hira Palla is homeschooling a toddler and newborn and needs to keep her little one entertained while learning. @Josephine Withers has an "outside flavor" toddler and wants more activities. @Jessica Senhorinha is juggling two curious builders (PreK and primary) with limited time and wants quick, ready-to-go options for real connection you three are all in the toddler/PreK zone, so team up for ideas!

Okay I'll give you a little more. What's coming is a community-wide adventure hunt. Four days. Global teams. Twenty challenges. Photo and video proof required. Some items will be crafty. Some will be playful. Some will ask you to do something genuinely kind for someone in your community. At least a few were specifically designed for kids 8 and under to run entirely themselves. It is inspired by one of the most chaotic, creative events on the internet, GiSH, but made specifically for families who want to put down their screens and actually do something. There are points. The points are ridiculous. That's the point. Launch is June 19. More details soon. Are you interested? Will you join?

If you’re following along each day, recall that yesterday’s practice was to pause before stepping in. Today, let’s take the next step: when help is needed, offer it in a way that keeps your child connected to the problem instead of handing the problem over to you. The simplest way to do that is to give support a shape. Instead of moving straight into giving advice, try asking a question that helps your child choose what kind of support would actually help. The wording can change by age, but the idea stays the same: I am available, and this is still yours. For younger children, that might mean offering comfort, a small clue, or company while they try again. For older kids and teens, it may mean asking whether they want to talk it through, hear an idea, or have a little space before deciding what to do next. The goal is not to make children solve everything independently. It is to avoid turning every moment of frustration into an adult-led repair job. Let’s break it down further by age: For ages 3–6 When a young child is stuck, start with connection before problem-solving. If they are upset because a tower fell, a button will not cooperate, or a game piece is not doing what they want, come close and name what you see. Then offer one small choice. You might say, “That was frustrating. Do you want me to sit with you while you try again, or would you like one little idea?” If they ask for an idea, keep it tiny. Instead of rebuilding the whole tower, you might point to the wider blocks at the bottom. Instead of finishing the puzzle, you might turn one piece slightly and let them place it. For ages 7–12 At this age, children often want help and independence at the same time. If they are frustrated by a game, a craft, a recipe, or a building project, try giving them a simple “help menu.” You might ask, “Would you like a hint, a second set of eyes, or a minute to think?” A hint gives them one clue. A second set of eyes means you look with them and notice something aloud without taking over. A minute to think gives them permission to stay with the problem without pressure. Each option communicates that help is available, but the next move still belongs to them.

When we talk about resilience, we often picture a kid who keeps going without getting upset. Calm. Determined. Unbothered. But that is not really resilience. Resilience is not the absence of frustration. It is the ability to recover after frustration has knocked us sideways. That distinction matters. Kids are still learning what to do with the surge of emotion that comes when the tower falls, the drawing goes wrong, the plan fails, or the game turns against them. Their first response may be tears, anger, blame, embarrassment, or a dramatic declaration that they are never doing this again. That does not mean they are failing at resilience. It means they have reached the exact moment when resilience can begin to grow. Research on self-regulation consistently points to the importance of supportive relationships in helping kids move through stress and regain balance. They borrow calm before they can reliably create it on their own. This is why I care so much about recovery rituals in play. Not because every hard moment needs to become a formal lesson, but because children benefit from having a familiar path back in. A breath. A phrase. A laugh. A reset move. Something small that says, “That went wrong, and we are not stranded here.” Play is particularly useful for this because the stakes are low while the feelings are still real. A collapsed build, a failed challenge, a burned meal, or a ridiculous family experiment gives kids a chance to experience a manageable dose of frustration inside a relationship that remains safe and steady. Over time, those repeated moments help kids practice moving from upset to re-entry rather than from upset to total shutdown. The adult role is not to cheerlead so loudly that the frustration disappears. It is not to insist that they “try again” before they are ready. It is to help the moment turn a corner. Sometimes that means naming what happened. Sometimes it means sitting quietly nearby. Sometimes it means introducing a little silliness that loosens the knot just enough for the kid to choose a next step.

Some of you may have received a welcome DM from our community mascot, “The Kid”. I wanted to have him say hello today. What kind of adventures would you like to see him have? Ask your kids and once a month, I’ll bring one to life.