Get ready for play

Screen-free play ideas for under-fives, and a simple way to capture your child in action

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Stays on your phone  •  No sign-ups needed

HOW IT WORKS
A cloud of activity filter chips — Fine Motor, Language, Sensory, Water play, Early math and more — with a couple selected.

Easy Filters

Pick activities based on development areas, what you have at home and other broad themes.

A 'How to play' checklist for a dirt-and-water sensory tray activity, with the first step checked off.

Prep Activity

Each play activity comes with simple explainers and photos for easy set up.

An in-app camera view framing two playful characters, with parents' notes: 'She's obsessed with water!', 'She didn't like getting her hands dirty', 'Perhaps too easy for her. Time for a level up!'

Capture the Action

Take photos and record notes. Be amazed at their progress or simply remember the fun messy bits of play.

FAQ
Are these activities based on a specific approach: Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf, or others?
Not on any single one, though many activities can be traced back to approaches like Montessori, Reggio Emilia, Waldorf or Forest School. The focus is on play itself, and on observing your child through it. Over time, you’ll come to understand your child, watch their development and be more attuned to their needs.
Is it safe to use the photos feature?

Yes — completely. Nothing you add to the app ever leaves your phone. When you add a photo, save a note or activity, it’s kept only on your own iPhone, never sent to a server or anywhere else.

Because there’s no account, there’s nothing for anyone else to access, and nothing to “delete an account” for. If you ever delete the app, everything is gone with it.

Did you create these activities yourself?

Not from scratch, no. The activities in PlaySparks are ones we’ve gathered, tried, and adapted over time: things we’ve seen shared by parents, educators, and parenting accounts we follow, things read about child development, and ideas passed along by friends with kids of their own.

Every activity in the app has actually been tried at home with my daughter before it made the cut. Think of PlaySparks less as an original activity book and more as a carefully kept, hand-tested collection organized so you can find it in ten seconds instead of scrolling through old messages.

Where can I view more activities?

New activities are added regularly, so it’s worth keeping the app updated. Right now the collection is focused on the first two years (roughly 7 to 24 months), and over the coming months I’m expanding it in two directions: more activities at every stage, and a wider age range as your little one grows.

I’m also reaching out to early-childhood experts to help shape what comes next, and that thoughtful approach takes a little time. So this is very much a growing app, please stay tuned.

Can I use the app offline?
Yes. PlaySparks doesn’t need Wi-Fi or mobile data to work. All the activities, photos, and notes are stored right on your phone, so you can browse and use the app on a plane, in a basement playroom, or anywhere else with no signal.