This is such a good book. As the mother of two small children, play is a huge part of daily life in our household, and with that comes the concerns that most parents have: how to manage the mess, and how to encourage the kids to play independently. This book introduces so many ideas for creating a playspace that’s easier to manage and more accessible for children, and gives you strategies for making use of the space and storage solutions you already have, rather than encouraging you to go out and buy a whole new system. This is a book I’ll be returning to again and again!

This was such an informative book that was wonderful ideas to implement at home or even in my classroom as a teacher. Easy to read and the pictures are so helpful in providing extra tips and instruction to the written portion.

The ultimate resources on children's play. The book begins informational with building an understanding of the value and importance of independent and sensory play. Then the book moves into practical ideas for going through and organizing what you already have, building a toy rotation, designing a playroom, and more! Tons of activities are incorporated to keep children busy. I think this would be a great resource for parents of young children as well as those in a daycare or preschool setting. Especially as we get into summer, this book is a must for parents looking to keep children entertained and have something new for them to do. A must purchase or parents and guardians of children ages 2-6 or educators in the preschool or daycare area.

Thank you NetGalley, Harper Celebrate and Myriam Sandler for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was challenging for me to read on my phone (couldn’t transfer to my tablet from NetGalley) so I only skimmed it but it appears to be full of recommendations and suggestions that would help any parent or child caregiver.

I’ve followed Myriam for years on IG and enjoy all that she shares. Not all of this information is brand new ideas but it’s great that it’s contained and concise for a busy parent.

This book is full of practical ideas for how to be more thoughtful about how you set up your children's toys to encourage more independent play. I appreciated that it explained how to make these changes in a way that doesn't feel impossible with an already busy schedule, and that it encourages you to use what you already have rather than buying new things.

I loved this. I think going into the extra information instead of just to-do lists and pictures helped me understand how important all of this is! I already have the book in my cart to purchase soon.

After years of following Myriam on Mothercould, this guide for playing is an excellent source of ideas to improve playtime with my kids. The book is full of concepts, ideas and options about the best ways to encourage independent play, organize toys or rooms and even her sensory play recommendations. It’s a great book to read and to consult as my kids grow and our needs change.
I’m so excited to get this book from netgalley for review.

I've followed Myriam Sandler online for years on her Mothercould Instagram account. She's built a community of more than 1.6 million people strong by sharing creative, effective and approachable parenting tips aimed toward streamlining the chaos of our daily lives and supporting our children's development. I've seen her share everything from dinner ideas to her own line of products and now she's packaged her wealth of experience into her new book: Playful By Design.

Playful By Design is a helpful reference handbook with organizational guides, activity ideas and sensory play recipes. It's like having a close girlfriend who's been through it all share her tips and tricks. My most favorite element of the book is that its main goal is to foster our kids' independent play skills. It's the epitome of "If you teach a man to fish...." I definitely recommend this book to parents of young children!

Thank you to @harpercelebratebooks for an ARC!

I may be seven years into my first child, but this book has most certainly been helpful and thought provoking. I loved that this wasn’t a ‘my way or the highway’ approach. It gave multiple options and approaches to find what works best in not only your space, but for your child(ren) as well.

I’ve already started implementing some of Miriam’s tactics and can’t wait to see the change I see in play with my oldest and interest in play from my youngest.

I highly recommend this for future and current parents! I’d even go as far to say this book has great recommendations for adults mixed in, as well.

As a teacher, I loved this book about play! Great guidance for those looking to create purposeful play areas. Could be used for the home and the classroom!

This easy-to-read and helpful book is not only great for parents but for any caregiver who desires to bring a. Little more creativity into their life without the unorganized mess.

This book ensures parental well-being, encouraging guilt-free "self-care & relationship time" moments in between the role of parenting. Myriam's narration of guidelines is effectively empathetic, assuring the parents that expensive materials aren’t necessary for meaningful impact. The real photographs of innovative playrooms and DIY activity setups, which went along with illustrations, support the practical ideas.

A great nonfiction reference for building play into the life of your chidlren. The editing, organization, photography, and illustrations are impeccable. Lots of fun recipes, lists, games, and helpful suggestions. This one is awesome and I hope to purchase a physical copy to be able to use for reference. Super fun, super useful, not being talked about enough!

Thrilled to have a tangible book to create non-screen time activities for my toddler. There are already habits that have been formed and this book gives the tool to break them and develop even better ones.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC! I really enjoyed the break down of this book - it made for an easy read, especially in the midst of toddler craziness. It revisited topics and tips that were familiar to me, but made it feel doable.