Plan without Planning: The Zen of Preparing for a Greenspan Floortime® Session

So, how do you prepare for this seemingly “unplannable” experience, i.e. plan without planning? Think of it less as meticulous planning and more as cultivating a fertile ground for connection to bloom. Here’s your guide to preparing for a Greenspan Floortime® session, the art of planning without over-planning:

1. Cultivate the Right Mindset: Your Most Important Preparation

Before you even gather toys, your mental state is key. Approach the session with:

• Curiosity: Be genuinely interested in what your child is doing and thinking.
• Enthusiasm: Bring a playful energy that encourages engagement.
• Patience: Allow your child to lead and don’t rush the process.
• Openness: Be ready to follow unexpected twists and turns in their play.
• A Focus on Fun and Connection: Remember the primary goal is to have fun and connect with your child on their level.

2. Set the Stage for Success (The Environment Matters)

While engagement and interaction are the goals, a few environmental tweaks can make a big difference: Learn more about ‘Just Right’ Environments

• Play Space: Choose a comfortable and safe area where you can both move, sit, or lie down at your child’s level. This could be a corner of the living room, their bedroom, or even outdoors.
• Minimize Distractions: Turn off the TV, put your phone away (unless you filming), and let other family members know you’ll be engaged in focused playtime.
• Avoid ‘Anti-Social’ Toys/Activities: Avoid toys that light up or make sounds (cause and effect toys). The child’s focus usually stays on them and not the person. Also, you don’t need many of any toy, especially small visually detailed animals, figurines, cars, etc.  These tend to lead to hyper focus on the object and/or heightened distractibility.   Remember, the goal is to create a socially engaging environment that prioritizes social interaction through play, not simply playing with toys.
• Gather a Variety of Large and/or Open-Ended Toys: Think large stuffed versions of toys like animals, cars, blocks, pillows, and even household items like pots and spoons. The key is to have things that can be used in multiple ways, sparking your child’s imagination. Don’t overdo it – a small selection is often enough.

3. The “Plan” That Isn’t Really a Plan: Gentle Intentions

Instead of a rigid agenda, consider these gentle intentions as starting points:

• Be Respectful, but DO NOT Sit Back and Watch (or Observe for more than a few seconds): Resist the urge to jump in and direct their play. Begin by identifying what your child is doing and why? What need is it fulfilling?
• Follow Their Lead (Join Their World): Once you have an idea of their needs and interest, join them in their activity. Mirror their actions, help them achieve their goal, make similar sounds, and show genuine interest.
• Challenge (Gently!): As the session progresses, you can introduce small, playful challenges that encourage engagement, interaction, and problem-solving. For example, if they’re building a tower, you might playfully build your own next to theirs. Alternatively, you may slowly reach for their tower stating that you are going take a block or even knock it over.  See if they stop you, smile, grimace, etc., and base your next response on what they do.
• Acknowledge: ALWAYS acknowledge and respect the child response. If they push your hand away, then it flies backwards.  If they are smiling, then keep going… 
• Expand and Elaborate: As you engage, look for opportunities to gently expand on their play. Use the whole room! If they are stacking blocks, maybe you make a tower in another part of the room, like on the table instead of the floor. If they’re making car noises, maybe your car drives form across the carpet making its own noises and bumps into theirs.
• Focus on Affect: Pay attention to your child’s emotions and express your own. If they’re happy, show your excitement. If they’re frustrated, acknowledge their feelings.

4. Embrace the Unexpected: The Beauty of “No Plan”

This is where the magic truly happens. Be prepared for your child to:

• Change Activities Suddenly: They might be engrossed in building with you one minute and then suddenly want to jump on the trampoline. Go with it!  Even bland the two, and start building on the trampoline.
• Use Toys in Unconventional Ways: A block might hide, become food, or be a phone. Embrace their creativity.
• Lead You Down Unexpected Paths: Their imagination might take you on a fantastical adventure you never anticipated. Enjoy the ride!

5. Reflect Afterwards (Briefly): Learning from the Flow

Once the Greenspan Floortime session is over, take a few moments to reflect:

• What did your child seem most interested in?
• What kind of communication did they initiate?
• What were some moments of genuine connection?
• What did you learn about your child’s world?

This brief reflection isn’t about judging the session but rather about gaining insights that can inform future interactions.

The Takeaway: Trust the Process

Preparing for a Greenspan Floortime session isn’t about creating a perfect playbook. It’s about preparing yourself – your mindset, your environment, and your willingness to enter your child’s world with joy and curiosity. By letting go of rigid adult determined goals and plans, you can embrace the flow of natural interaction and robust communication. You’ll unlock powerful opportunities for connection, growth, and a deeper understanding of your amazing child. So, take a deep breath, gather a few toys, and get ready to dive into the delightful world of Greenspan Floortime®!

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