The study carried out by Cambridge University’s faculty of education and the LEGO Foundation looked at how fathers and mothers play with their children from birth- to three-years-old to see whether it had an impact on children’s development. Academics reviewed data from 78 studies, carried out mainly in Europe or the US between 1977 and 2017, to understand more about how fathers play with their children from birth to three-years-old.
While there were similarities in the way both genders play with their child, it found that fathers tend to engage in more physical play – tickling, chasing games and piggy-back rides. Researchers claim this form of play is ‘particularly well-suited’ for developing skills that help children control their feelings.
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