As many of our preschool children prepare to leave nursery and begin their school journey in September, I wanted to share a few thoughts about the upcoming summer break.

As a Chartered Physiotherapist, nursery owner and mother, I have spent more than twenty years observing children’s development. During that time, I have become increasingly concerned by the amount of time children spend engaging with screens and digital devices, often at the expense of movement, play and social interaction.

Children Deserve a Childhood

I firmly believe that children deserve a childhood.

I fully support the growing movement to protect children from social media and strongly welcome the discussions around restricting social media access for under-16s. Childhood should be filled with movement, imagination, friendships, curiosity, challenge and real-world experiences.

The Importance of Staying Connected Over Summer

Whilst the six-week summer holiday is an exciting time for families, it is also worth remembering that six weeks is a significant period in a young child’s development.

Research consistently shows that extended breaks from education can result in a loss of learning, language and social skills, particularly for younger children. This is often referred to as the “summer slide”, where children can lose some of the progress they have made during the academic year.

The good news is that maintaining school readiness does not require formal learning or worksheets.

Children learn best through play.

What Really Supports School Readiness?

Over the summer, I would encourage families to seek opportunities for children to spend time with their peers, attend holiday clubs, nursery sessions, community activities, parks, libraries and sports clubs.

These experiences continue to develop communication skills, emotional regulation, resilience, confidence, independence and problem-solving — all of which are just as important as early literacy and numeracy when children start school.

As a sector, we are increasingly seeing children arrive at school with underdeveloped gross motor skills, reduced attention spans and fewer opportunities to practise social interaction. These are skills that can only truly be developed through movement, play and human connection.

My Message to Families This Summer

So my message this summer is simple:

Keep children moving.
Keep them playing.
Keep them talking.
Keep them exploring.
Keep them connected to other children.

The memories they make, the friendships they build and the experiences they enjoy this summer will do far more for their development than any screen ever could.

Wishing all of our families a wonderful summer.

Sheena Patel
Director, Monkey Puzzle Streatham Common & Monkey Puzzle West Norwood