Breaking Barriers: Promoting Parent-Child Engagement with Co-Produced Activity Packs for 1-to-3-Year-Olds

Abstract Parent-child activities support children’s socio-emotional and cognitive development, yet numerous barriers limit engagement, particularly among families experiencing socio-economic disadvantage. This study uniquely investigates and addresses these challenges by integrating insights from parents and early years practitioners. Through online workshops, 118 parents and 127 practitioners identified barriers relating to opportunity (e.g., time constraints, access to resources, and worries about mess and damage), capability (e.g., gaps in knowledge and expectations) and motivation (practitioners in particular emphasized the importance of parental confidence and positive experiences of play). To address these barriers, three co-designed activity packs were distributed to over 1000 families. The packs featured simple, clearly explained, play-based activities requiring minimal setup, along with resources and guidance tailored to diverse family needs. Emphasizing the process over outcomes, the packs aimed to boost parental confidence, bridge knowledge gaps, and support parent-child interactions. Feedback from 23 parents and interviews with 10 practitioners highlighted the packs’ positive impact on parental perceptions of play, their confidence in supporting child development, and their ability to overcome practical constraints. Practitioners played a pivotal mediating role, fostering trust, addressing concerns, and encouraging participation through personalized interactions. This study offers a scalable, cost-effective intervention model that directly addresses practical and psychological barriers to parent-child engagement. The findings have significant implications for policymakers, emphasizing the need for targeted, evidence-based solutions that combine resource provision with practitioner support. Such approaches are essential for fostering equity in early childhood development and improving outcomes for children across diverse populations.