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CBeebies Parenting supports families to bring more play into daily routines
CBeebies Parenting celebrates the power of play at a special event at the Natural History Museum, featuring a live bonus episode of CBeebies Parenting Download. Bringing together child development expert Dr Amanda Gummer, celebrity parents Olivia and Alex Bowen, and CBeebies favourite Andy Day to explore simple, everyday ways families can build more play into their routines.
Marking the launch of Andy’s Dino Island, parents and little ones has an exclusive screening of the new series designed to spark imaginative play through prehistoric adventure, created with the BBC Natural History Unit.
Andy Day, said: “Even I feel the pressure to be the best person to play with my children, and CBeebies Parenting helps to inspire grown-ups and CBeebies sparks imaginative play in little ones, that they get so much benefit from – both educational and fun.”
Parents Alex and Olivia Bowen, who are supporting the campaign, said: “Like so many parents, we know how easy it is for playtime to slip down the priority list when life gets busy and parent guilt is real. Between work, tiredness and everyday responsibilities, there are days when you feel like you could be doing more.”
“Like other parents in the research, we’ve been looking for more advice and ideas for play, especially with a new baby.”
Dr Amanda Gummer, child development expert, said: “Parents are under huge pressure, and many feel that play has to be perfectly planned or time-intensive to be meaningful. This research shows just how common those feelings are, with 44% of parents saying they struggle to find enough time to play and 83% admitting they wished they could play with their child more.”
To inform the discussion, new research commissioned by CBeebies Parenting highlights why support for play matters. The survey of UK parents with children aged 0–5 suggests that busy schedules and daytoday pressures continue to squeeze playtime at home, with nearly half of parents surveyed saying they spend less than an hour playing with their child on a typical weekday. While most parents surveyed say they want to play more, over a third report finding play difficult and many are looking for more ideas and guidance.
CBeebies Parenting offers practical, expertbacked advice to help parents feel more confident about play, along with simple activities that fit into real family life. The platform supports families from pregnancy through to starting school, reinforcing the BBC’s commitment to children’s learning and development.
Parents and carers can also explore the CBeebies Learn App – a free, adfree digital space offering playbased games and activities mapped to the Early Years Foundation Stage.
Kate Morton, Senior Head of Commissioning at CBeebies, said: “Supporting families is at the heart of what we do. Through our programmes, digital experiences and parenting resources, we’re committed to providing trusted, highquality content that inspires imagination and supports children’s early development.”
To support parents and carers, CBeebies Parenting brings together trusted, expert-backed advice, practical tips and simple play ideas designed to fit into everyday family life, helping parents feel more confident about play while supporting their child’s early years development.
Designed specifically parents and carers to use with young children, the app provides a trusted space where play, creativity and early learning come together. Grown-ups can find games, songs and activities, all to make playtime richer and help inspire fun with their little ones, mapped to Early Years Foundation Stage development framework.
CBeebies Parenting supports families from pregnancy through to starting school, reinforcing the BBC’s commitment to supporting children’s learning and development beyond entertainment.
For parenting and carers, the CBeebies Parenting Download podcast has two special episodes dedicated to exploring play including a live bonus episode recorded at the Natural History Museum with celebrity parents, Olivia and Alex Bowen and CBeebies legend and Dad of three, Andy Day.
For expert play inspiration, tips and advice for parents and carers there’s specially curated Play Hub on on CBeebies Parenting, and download the CBeebies Learn App to enjoy fun, age-appropriate games designed to support learning through play, and brand new maths videos from Andy’s Dino Island.
Andy’s Dino Island starts on 16th March on CBeebies and iPlayer.
Families can also enjoy the new season of Bluey on BBC iPlayer, with the Heeler family offering plenty of inspiration for bringing play into everyday moments.
*The survey of 575 parents of children aged 0-6 was conducted by Ipsos for CBeebies in February 2026.