On this, the final episode of series four of the For All Mum Kind podcast, I continue my chat with teacher, Montessori and respectful parent and mum of four Gemma Daly. This conversation is all about play and I hope you find it as interesting as I did. Gemma has taken the knowledge she gained from being in the teaching profession and turned it into a successful YouTube channel called The Hidden Gem. Her tips and techniques on how to play with your child and how to turn the ordinary into interesting are utterly invaluable. It may be something as simple as putting pom-poms on a fire guard, but these are all things to spark your child’s imagination and stimulate the learning process. Gemma introduced me to the idea of ‘schemas’. The little simple repetitive actions and urges that you may notice your baby doing, that are actually the building blocks to the much larger milestones of life. Have you ever watched a baby repetitively take something in and out of a box? This is the schema of learning about volume and it is the reason why as an adult we can pour milk into a cup of tea without spilling it. We talk about toys and which toys are best to invigorate the creative process. It’s not always the most flashiest toy that may stand out of the shelf that is best for your smallie. Active toys make passive learners, and passive toys make active learners. In fact the best thing we can actually give our children is the space to move around and explore in. We discuss the concept of Gross Motor Development and Gemma tells me why she is not stressing about the triplets hitting arbitrary milestones and allowing them to develop at their natural pace. Did you know that a baby can’t actually sit up by themselves until they are able to crawl? Gemma is a hive of information and this episode is full of gems for parents to pick up. And finally we chat about the work of Maria Montessori and how we should follow our child’s natural interests and that each child is like a kernel of popcorn - they may be in the same pot, but they will all pop at different times. To follow Gemma please check out her Instagram and YouTube channel: https://www.instagram.com/the.way.we.play/ https://www.youtube.com/thehiddengem Thank you for listening to season four of the Four All Mum Kind Podcast. I would like to thank all of my guests who took the time to speak with me. My sponsor The Gardiner Family Apothecary for their support throughout the recording of the show., my family and you the listener for all your kind messages.  If you would like to continue the conversation, please follow me on Instagram at ForAllMumKind where I would love to hear from you. https://www.instagram.com/forallmumkind/ ____________________________ This series of the For All Mum Kind podcast is sponsored by the Gardiner Family Apothecary . Caring for your sensitive skin with their Elave and Ovelle solutions and proudly made in Ireland since 1934. You can keep up to date with all of their news, discounts, and exclusive offers across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at Gardiner Family Apothecary.  Visit www.GardinerFamilyApothecary.com for free next day delivery with purchases over €25. Pamela x Subscribe on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/for-all-mum-kind/id1456045096?mt=2 Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5q5ErY3McbYLuzC2qGfxVz