Does your child ever get distracted? Is she sometimes too agitated to settle? Are there days when you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires, that it’s all tears and no play.

I see a lot of hands going up.

When I launched One Hundred Toys, I didn’t want to talk about behaviour. It seemed too controversial. My advice might come across as judgemental. Who needs a sanctimonious, moralising teacher mansplaining how you should bring up your child? Not you. Not me, either.

Much safer to stick to play.

But I was shirking my responsibilities. In some ways, self-regulation and the executive functions are the only game in town. How can you succeed in school and in life if you don’t have basic self-control, if you can’t manage your emotions?

I’m still not going to mansplain behaviour tips, but I do have a project I’m really excited to share with you. It’s called The Play Tools.

The Play Tools: Your child’s internal compass

Each tool is a quick action or activity that brings your child back to centre, that grounds her and leaves her ready to focus, to start or return to play. These aren’t complex instructions or long-winded explanations. They are designed to help your child regain emotional control, increase focus, and tap into her own internal compass.

There’s a tension between making a tool that’s simple enough to use in the moment, one that you will understand immediately and be able to apply without much thought, and one that’s too simplistic. This is why I’m inviting Co-Conspirators subscribers in for free. You’ll be my beta testers. We’ll discuss each tool in the comments and refine it together until it’s perfect. Once they’re finalised and become their own discrete, paid product, you’ll have free lifetime access as a thank-you for your support.

How The Play Tools work

The Play Tools adapt to your child’s developmental stage—whether she’s a toddler, a preschooler, or older. Each tool has a slightly different focus, but the aim is always the same: helping your child regulate, refocus, and engage.

For younger children, you’ll find tools that emphasise sensory play and simple, calming actions to help them centre themselves and feel secure. With older children, the tools focus more on problem-solving, emotional self-regulation, and building their independence. There’s something for every age group and every stage of development.

Building together: Join me in co-creating The Play Tools

I envisage The Play Tools sitting at the heart of Play with Purpose - and they will eventually become a paid product. But, if you sign up for Co-Conspirators, they are completely free.

There are dozens of tools, and I’ll share them one by one in the Co-conspirators community. The idea is that you help me to test them. I’ll post the latest tool in the feed, and we can all discuss how well it works, what changes are needed, and how to make it even better. Together, we’ll co-create these tools, ensuring they are the most effective and accessible they can be.

Inspired by Stutz: Simple tools for big results

Have you seen the Netflix film, Stutz? In it, Dr. Stutz shares his philosophy that traditional psychotherapy can be a long, drawn-out process. The therapist often waits for the client to come to their own conclusions, which can take years. So, he devised The Tools - quick practices his clients could use right away to improve their lives.

It got me thinking. Could I do something similar for play? Could I create simple, easy-to-apply tools that parents can use in the moment to support their child’s development and emotional growth? And so, The Play Tools were born.

This is completely new territory for me, and I’m building it in public. Sign up for Co-Conspirators, and you’ll get The Play Tools for free. You’ll help shape them, refine them, and make them the best they can be.

What’s next?

Tomorrow, I’ll introduce you to the Endless Play Generator, the ultimate companion to The Play Tools. It takes the materials you already have at home and suggests screen-free activities tailored to your child’s interests and developmental stage.

I can’t wait for you to try out The Play Tools and see how they transform playtime in your home. Sign up for Co-Conspirators and get free lifetime access to everything Play with Purpose has to offer.

Please reply to this email if you have any questions - or suggestions. I’d love to hear your thoughts. This is something I’m excited for us to build together.

Happy playing!

Alexis

P.S. Did you know that Co-Conspirators get The Play Tools, Patterns in Play, Screen-Free Saturdays, Start with the Child, and The Endless Play Generator and the private community as part of their subscription? Until October 30th, it’s just £29 (full price £49) for lifetime access to all of these resources. Join here.