Creating “Just Right” Play Spaces for Social-Emotional Growth:
The ‘Goldilocks’ Greenspan Play Space
(Stanley I Greenspan MD Inc. and its intervention, The Greenspan Floortime Approach®, DO NOT endorse or support ICDL or its DIRFloortime curriculum)
Remember the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears? She was constantly searching for things that were “just right” – not too hot, not too cold, not too hard, not too soft. This classic tale offers a surprising lesson sensory and emotional regulation, and this lesson can be used in creating play spaces that foster social-emotional growth in children. Dr. Stanley Greenspan, a renowned child psychiatrist, emphasized the importance of thoughtfully designed developmentally supportive environments. Just like Goldilocks, children thrive in environments that are “just right” for their needs. But what does that mean exactly, and which needs do we prioritize?
For starters, an environment that supports socially interactive play vs the toys/activities themselves is always advantageous compared to the a room with lots of toys that may ‘keep kids busy’, or lots of space and physical equipment where children run around and burn off energy. Research at Princeton University, and many other studies, show how early childhood socially interactive play establishes “neuro-synchrony” between caregiver and child, and is the number one way children develop deep relationships, communication, and thinking skills . Additionally, social-emotional skills as measured by age 5 are the strongest indicator of long term success (https://www.psu.edu/news/research/story/early-prosocial-behavior-good-predictor-kids-future/).
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While playing with toys is a part of many children’s social experience, the toys are not the beneficial and growth inducing component of the experience itself. It is the relationship and the adaptive social interaction that drives social-emotional growth.
- Traditional play spaces typically include too many toys that can impede development and lead to high distractibility moving from one toy to another without providing enough opportunities to move (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0163638317301613).
- Movement supports the brain’s ability to form new connections, the growth of new brain cells, and improvements in memory, attention, decision-making, and overall cognitive performance. It activates parts of the brain needed for integrating the sensory, social, and emotional components of the world around us.
- Traditional OT gyms provide children with so much open space and soooo many options they end up running around, moving from object to object, activity to activity, running a circuit, or not knowing what to do. They don’t maintain engagement and co-regulated interaction with an adult or peer and learn to rev up, burn off energy, and then ‘crash’/stop.
- Making sure a child can move and use objects with a social purpose while consistently sustaining social engagement and interaction are requirements for a ‘Goldilocks’ Greenspan Play Space.
- If a child cannot stay socially engaged during play within a given environment because they get distracted, self-involved, rigid, or hyper then the type of play and/or the space are NOT developmentally appropriate.
If our desire is for our children to have opportunities to strengthen their natural abilities to self-regulate, socially attend and engage, interact and problem-solve, and communicate while strengthening their motor skills and sensory processing as part of ‘fully integrated experience’, then consistently providing opportunities for fun meaningful co-regulated interactions with a caregiver are essential to this growth. If these capacities are developing at different speeds, then children need even more nurturing fun and meaningful opportunities for socially interactive play, not less. If the environment a child spends most of their day in promotes self-involved, repetitive, rigid, or disorganized and fragmented play, where continuous social interactions are difficult, then the environment is not supportive enough of that child’s individual social-emotional profile, and needs.
The ‘Goldilocks’ Principles of Greenspan Play Spaces:
- Sensory Regulation: The space should offer a variety of sensory experiences, but not be overly stimulating. Think about movement, pressure, and touch. Platforms for being up high and climbing, nooks or caves for hiding and calming, soft pillows large stuffed animals for squishing and crashing, swings or spinning chairs for movement, and natural light. Avoid excessive clutter, lots of small toys, toys that light up or make sounds and bright or flashing lights.
- Emotional Safety: A “just right” play space feels safe and inviting. It should be a place where children feel comfortable taking risks, expressing themselves, and engaging in pretend play. Soft seating, cozy corners, and familiar objects can contribute to this sense of security.
- Motor Opportunities: Children need space to move! Include opportunities for climbing, crawling, jumping, spinning, swinging, and exploring. This could mean soft play structures, tunnels, or even an open floor space for running, dancing, or just being silly.
- Social Interaction: The environment should encourage engagement, interaction, and communication. Think toys that promote shared play, especially ones that are large, like big stuffed animals, making it difficult for a child to hoard them or self-involve in them. Avoid small toys, like small blocks, figurines, and matchbox cars. Arrange the space to facilitate face-to-face interactions and collaborative activities.
1. Sensory-Motor Exploration that’s “Just Right”
- Not too overwhelming: Avoid overly stimulating environments with lots of objects/clutter, people, bright lights and loud noises that can lead to sensory overload.
- Not too bland: Include opportunities for climbing, crawling, jumping, spinning, swinging, and exploring and a variety of texture balls and pillows. Think platforms, spinning chairs, tents, soft blankets, textured toys.
- Just right: Create a space where children can explore and engage their senses at their own pace, with opportunities for both calm and active play.
2. Emotional Connection that’s “Just Right”
- Not too intrusive: Allow children to be in control of interactions and follow their lead. Avoid forcing social interaction.
- Not too distant: Be present and engaged, offering warm and responsive interactions. Follow the child’s cues and join their world of play to create a shared world.
- Just right: Create a safe and nurturing environment where children feel comfortable expressing themselves and connecting with others.
3. Challenges that are “Just Right”
- Not too frustrating: Create small subtle changes and challenges within fun and meaningful child directed activities that are slightly challenging but within the child’s reach, encouraging them to problem-solve and develop new skills.
- Not too easy: Provide opportunities for children to stretch their abilities and experience a sense of accomplishment within a social exchange.
- Just right: Strike a balance between support and challenge, allowing children to experience the joy of mastering a new developmental capacity and building confidence.
Finding the “Just Right” Balance:
Every child is unique, so the ideal play space will vary. Observe how children interact with people within different environments. What do they gravitate towards? What makes them feel comfortable and engaged?
By following these ‘Goldilocks’ principles and remaining attuned to individual needs, we can create play spaces that truly support children’s social-emotional growth. These spaces become more than just areas for play; they transform into nurturing environments where children feel safe, explore their world, and connect and communicate with others in meaningful ways.
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A Greenspan Floortime play space should be just right for your child — not too stimulating and not too bare. It should offer materials that match your child’s sensory profile and developmental level, with enough variety to spark interest but not so much that it overwhelms. The goal is a space that invites engagement and supports the warm back-and-forth interaction at the heart of Floortime.
The physical environment directly affects a child’s arousal state, which affects their availability for engagement. A space that is too loud, bright, or cluttered may overwhelm a sensory-sensitive child. A space that is too plain may fail to capture an under-responsive child’s attention. The Greenspan/DIR approach considers each child’s individual sensory profile when designing the play environment.
For children with autism, the play environment should take their sensory processing profile into account. Some children are sensory-avoidant and need calm, low-stimulation spaces. Others are sensory-seeking and benefit from movement, tactile materials, and proprioceptive input. The Greenspan approach tailors the environment to support each child’s unique regulatory needs.
Toys are tools for connection in Floortime — not goals in themselves. The best toys are those that your child is genuinely interested in, that allow for back-and-forth interaction, and that can be used across multiple developmental levels. Open-ended toys, cause-and-effect toys, and pretend play materials are particularly well-suited for Floortime because they invite circles of communication.