Growing Through Play: Social and Emotional Development in Children

There’s a lot more happening during playtime than meets the eye. Beyond the laughs, pretend worlds, and building blocks, children are learning how to relate to others, express emotions, and build a strong sense of self. These are the foundations of social and emotional development, and play is one of the most effective and natural ways to nurture them.

In this blog, we’ll explore what social and emotional development looks like, how play supports it at different stages, and which toys and activities can gently guide your child as they grow in empathy, confidence, and connection.

This area of development covers a wide range of skills, including:

• Recognising and naming emotions

• Developing empathy

• Building self-esteem and confidence

• Taking turns and sharing

• Expressing needs and feelings

• Forming friendships and social bonds

These aren’t just “nice to haves.” Social and emotional skills form the foundation for everything from classroom readiness to lifelong mental health. And like any other skill, they need to be learned — and play is the perfect teacher.

Play gives children a safe and imaginative space to explore big feelings, test relationships, and build resilience. Here’s how it helps:

Through play, children practice naming, acting out, and managing emotions. A pretend doll crying or a bear feeling “scared” opens the door to understanding their own feelings.

Role-play and storytelling allow children to step into someone else’s shoes — whether that’s a shopkeeper, a parent, or a bunny who’s lost its friend.

Playing together teaches cooperation, turn-taking, problem-solving, and compromise — key ingredients for healthy social interactions.

Making choices in play, leading pretend games, or mastering a task (like building something) gives children a sense of competence and self-worth.

Let’s explore how social and emotional growth unfolds — and how play can support each stage.

Even the youngest babies are tuned in to emotions. They respond to smiles, coos, and facial expressions. Bonding and secure attachment at this stage set the stage for healthy emotional development later on.

• Use mirrors and expressive toys to help babies learn facial expressions.

• Offer cuddly toys to comfort and soothe.

• Talk, sing, and make eye contact often — your face is their favourite toy.

Highlighted Brand

🧸 cuddle+kind Baby Dolls & Animals — beautifully hand-knit, each one has a kind face and soft texture that comforts and delights. Every purchase also gives 10 meals to children in need — a lovely way to introduce your baby to the value of kindness.

Toddlers are beginning to understand feelings but not always able to control them. Tantrums, joy, frustration — it’s all part of learning!

• Use soft dolls and figures to act out emotions and daily routines.

• Practice naming feelings during play: “The bear is sad — what can help?”

• Start simple group play to build turn-taking and patience.

Highlighted Brand

🐻 Little Dutch Soft Toys — comforting and full of personality, these plush friends are ideal for emotional role-play, cuddling, and everyday routines like bedtime or mealtime stories.

Children at this stage begin to play with others more intentionally, role-play complex scenarios, and take real pride in friendships and leadership roles.

• Encourage pretend play with dolls, kitchen sets, or animal figures.- We have a great blog on pretend play ideas

• Use books and stories to explore feelings and friendship.

• Practice social scripts: taking turns, helping others, saying sorry.

Playfaire Pick:

🧺 Little Dutch Mint Kitchen — these offer endless role-play possibilities. Indulge in imaginative play, support emotional expression and empathy-building in natural ways.

A key part of encouraging social-emotional growth is creating an environment where feelings are safe and validated.

• Set up a “calm down” corner with soft toys, cushions, and sensory items for quiet time. - For tips on how to do this check out our blog!

• Keep emotion-themed books or cards nearby to help identify and talk through big feelings.

• Don’t rush in to solve every disagreement during group play — let children try to work it out (with gentle guidance if needed).

For Tips on creating a calm down corner, check out our blog -->

Your presence matters. Children learn emotional regulation and social skills by watching the adults around them.

• Narrate your own emotions: “I’m feeling tired right now, so I need to sit quietly for a moment.”

• Praise emotional awareness: “That was kind of you to give the bear a blanket!”

• Model repair and apology: “Oops, I got frustrated — sorry about that.”

Explore the Collection at Playfaire.co.uk

From hand-knit cuddle+kind companions to soft activity toys by Little Dutch, we’ve curated our favourites to support emotional expression and social growth — all through the joy of play.