A Celebration of Play: At-Home Play Recipes Using Everyday Materials

There are many ways for children to learn—including through play! Why play? Not only does research show that play is a fundamental part of a child's life; play is recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child. 

At The New York Public Library, our Early Literacy team and our expert children's librarians know firsthand how transformative play can be in a child's life. Play activities create an environment where children can develop skills through interactions and practice. Join us and find a play program at your closest NYPL branch.

Your child can also have exciting play experiences to help develop early literacy skills at home! We have developed simple and fun downloadable Play Recipes that you can use at home with your child using everyday materials that you likely already have on hand.

These recipes are geared towards babies and young children, but we encourage older siblings to join in on the fun! These recipes are adaptable, so feel free to use what you have on hand—just remember to supervise little ones with small objects and play safely.

NYPL Play Recipes

• Baby Ball Pit
• Baby Disco
• Balance Hangers
• Cardboard Art
• Colander Sculpture
• Color Sorting
• Discovery Bottles
• Homemade Blocks
• Light Discovery
• Magnet Exploration
• Mud Play
• Paper “Sand” Box
• Peek-A-Boo Boxes
• Pom Pom Drop
• Sensory Circle
• Sensory Crawl
• Sensory Bin
• Sticky Wall Collage
• Tunnel Time
• Tug & Pull Boxes
• Velcro Roller Construction
• Water Play

Explore Early Literacy Resources at NYPL

The New York Public Library offers free programs, books, and resources to help little ones read, learn, and have fun! Come to your local branch and engage in a wide variety of free early childhood programs for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers.