Play with a purpose

Professor Sam Wass and his team at the Institute for the Science of Early Years and Youth, equipped 20 UK families with wearable technology to capture real-time emotional and physical dynamics during in-home play sessions. They found that when parents and children play together their heart rates actually synchronise. Whether this is through shared excitement, focus, or calm, it offers biological proof of connection.

The study also reveals that families naturally move closer together during play, converging in shared physical spaces, and their conversations demonstrate what researchers call 'semantic alignment’– they listen more actively to each other, build on each other's ideas and create shared understanding.

Kinder is launching a global Value of Play initiative, with a panel of leading play experts to research how play supports connection, learning and development. Through this initiative, Kinder aims to foster a culture where play is valued and prioritised.

‘Our early studies reveal a striking pattern: many families often share the same physical space, but mentally they are miles apart. For instance, one child may be immersed in a video game, another focused on a toy and a third lost in drawing,’ explains Sam Wass. ‘While solitary play has important benefits for children's independence and creativity, our research shows how shared play can weave families into a unified dynamic. Through shared play, we see family relationships come alive.’

‘Our research is looking at the ways play encourages children to form deeper bonds with their siblings and parents, leading to more connected speech and movement patterns within families. Even more remarkable, the research suggests that play might affect the synchronization of families’ moods and stress levels, highlighting play’s powerful role in emotional connection and collective well-being,’ he adds.

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