Get Virtual Care
For Businesses
About Us
A member asked:
Is structured play or free play better for babies?
6 doctors weighed in across 3 answers
Yes: Actually, a little bit of both is ideal for babies. Letting babies play freely with their toys or even common (safe) household items is a great way for them to explore and use their imagination. More structured play can help teach routines and can often provide great opportunities for socialization and shared experiences.
Answered 8/6/2013
6.7k views
Yes: Neither is "better", both are needed by your baby. There has to be some free time to just roll around, tickle, laugh, do what your baby is interested in at the moment. But you also need some time that you lead - reading to baby, looking at books, singing songs, looking at photo albums both of these types of activities are important for interaction with environment and people as well as learning.
Answered 5/4/2011
6.6k views
No: Both are important. Free play is definitely under-rated; too often we don't allow babies to have "free time" to play and learn to be ok by themselves. Especially as they age, children learn much about socialization thru free play. Yet some guidance and direction with interaction with family members is crucial for development as well. Strike a balance.
Answered 5/14/2016
6.6k views
Related Questions
A member asked:
When will baby starts playing with other babies and when will stranger anxiety start.is it normal for 6 month baby not to play with otherbabies?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
A member asked:
A doc on here said that the FP rock n play has been known to cause O2 desaturation in an infant that led to CP. Where can I find evidence of this?
A doctor has provided 1 answer
A member asked:
I have a fetish of playing with infant/toddler diapers. Can I get STD if I touched the urine from the diaper and fingered myself? (HPV, Trichomonas, Gonorrhea, etc...)
A doctor has provided 1 answer
A member asked:
Co-sleeping ads with butcher knives, where should an infant sleep? With all the recalls for bedside play-yard sleepers and co-sleeping "nests" and the infant deaths from co-sleeping, where should a breastfeeding mother have her infant sleep? A crib in a
2 doctors weighed in across 2 answers
People also searched for:
When do play groups become beneficial for babies?
Are white noise machines okay to play for an infant? What about music and other things to soothe the baby?
Is it safe for babies to sleep overnight or nap in Baby Swings or Rock n' Plays?
When my baby (4 months) plays, she enjoys being vigorously bounced. How much movement is safe for babies at this age?
My infant always crosses her legs tightly. It looks like something is bothering her and making her do this as she stops whatever she was doing even playing and do this for a few minutes then releases them. She has always done this since younger. ?
Didn't find what you're looking for?
90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more.
Ask your questionMore of what we treat
Download HealthTap
Video visit and message your doctor
