When my daughter was around 4 months old I started following Play Hooray on Instagram. Claire is so passionate about play, it’s infectious. Better than that though, she’s created a community of Mums who feel less alone when they log on to her live play sessions on Instagram and Facebook.

During maternity leave, I really enjoyed connecting with other mums online and setting up activities as part of our routine at home. It wasn’t long before I saw my baby grow from wide eyed curiosity to inquisitive investigation and seeing this change in her, I started reaching for my camera more and more.

These days I love to find ways to incorporate play into my photography. Play-driven shooting, if you like. Candid moments capture so much personality and taking this route, the opportunities seem to come quite easily.

I love that there’s something for both of us in these moments. For my daughter, there’s play. Both with me and independently. I get to play along, but there’s also something that’s just for me. The chance to nurture that little space for creativity that lights me up. I’ve mentioned before how important this is for my self-care.

The cherry on top is a collection of photos to treasure for the rest of our lives. A document of her childhood and our time at home as mummy and baby. So in the spirit of sharing, here are 10 of my most used photography play prompts:

1. Bubbles

It’s a good place to start right? I’ve never met a young child who didn’t love bubbles. The bigger the bubble blowing equipment, the more able they are to have a go at making them themselves (perfect for the fiercely independent toddler!) For big bubble-making I love this and for smaller bubbles, to create more of a blizzard effect, I love this.

If you’re shooting with your DSLR it might be worth using a faster shutter speed (faster than say, 1/500) so that the bubbles don’t appear blurred.

2. Peek a boo/ Hide & Seek

Look for frames to add interest to your photography composition when playing games like these. Peeking out of a window or door frame is an easy, simple idea. Guide the play by suggesting where you play or just move there yourself and your toddler is sure to follow. For this shot below, we played our entire game of peek a boo around this chair because the cross frame caught my eye.

In the photo below, a game of hide & seek evolved naturally after bathtime one hot summer’s evening. The washing on the line provide plenty of hiding opportunities and as the scene was backlit (ie. the sun was behind everything) it made me chuckle to see her towel go translucent in the evening light.

3. Coloured scarves

Throw them up in the air, dance around with them, play peek a boo. These scarves photograph really well and and are so versatile for play. To capture this photo we had just been throwing them up in the air which resulted in lots of laughter and rolling around. This was simply an in-between moment, an overhead shot as she lay on the floor, not quite play but not ready to give up just yet. These are the scarves we use, the colours are lovely and vivid.

4. Music

Kitchen discos are very popular in our house. They’re great for whipping up the fun or breaking a mood. Music can of course create lots of laughter and movement but I also like to watch for the in-between moments where a more subtle mood/feeling presents itself. I caught the photo below during the tenth requested play of “Sleeping Bunnies”. It had become a bit of an endurance test by this point, she was clearly tired but desperate to keep going.

5. Art activities

My little girl loves art, so setting up a painting activity somewhere where there is good, natural light (near a window for example) is always a winner. With my camera ready, I’ll prompt her a little, encouraging her to make big swirls on the paper.

This photo was taken when she was around 1.5 years old and still tasting, so we used yoghurt and food colouring instead of real paint. I used this food colouring. It’s a little more expensive than shop bought but lasts such a long time and makes really gorgeous, vivid colours. We’ve since used it for many other play activities so it’s been a really good investment!

We were using a pastry brush which made the most fabulous whiskers and then I asked her "what does the paint feels like on your face?”. This prompted her to add more paint to her face which she thought was very funny. It did get a bit messy, but it felt worth it and was all able to be washed away afterwards. Paint-covered hands, looks of concentration and curious exploration; this is the story of childhood and it’s there to be savoured and celebrated.

6. Den-making

Research suggests that creating small spaces is excellent for language development. As their world shrinks around them, young children feel safer to chat and imaginative play can flourish. Building dens out of what you have to hand is all you really need. Cushions, chairs, sheets are all perfect building materials. We used a play tunnel to make an entrance and before long she was standing up inside and telling me I couldn't come in her bossiest voice.

7. Feathers

I love the way feathers can add a little pop of colour to a photo. So cheap and cheerful. We like to have feather races, dropping them from up high and watching them fall to the ground at different speeds.

On this day, we’d taken to decorating our hair with them. When she turned away from me, I noticed the back of her neck and thought there was something very lovely this simple composition which was enhanced with the addition of the coloured feathers. It’s a subtle photo that means the world to me. One of my favourites.

I think another reason this one works is because the feathers provide all the colour. Everything else in the frame is neutral and this stops the feathers getting “lost” or the photo looking too busy.

8. Nature

The UK always brings a mixed bag of weather, not that I mind. When it rains, the water pools on these leaves and I love the way she pushes the droplets around, exploring nature with podgy fingers.

Whenever I can, I like to include the senses in our photos. Prompting with questions like “what does the tree feel like? How do the flowers smell? These simple questions are great conversation starters and makes our photo-making feel more like a game.

9. Fancy Dress

Fancy Dress is always a winner in our house. Hats, funny glasses, capes, umbrellas etc. all add shape to your photography composition but they're also great for encouraging imaginative play, where personalities light up and inhibitions fall away. There are many fancy dress treasures to be found at charity shops but this ballerina skirt is a firm favourite at the moment. I’ve also got my eye on this super cute owl costume as I think it would be so much fun to play with and photograph!

10. Climbing

My little girl learned to climb before she could walk. When she climbs somewhere she knows she probably shouldn't, she gets a glint of mischief in her eye that I always enjoy photographing. If she’s up high, I’ll usually get down low and point my camera up to shoot her. It’s always fun to play with perspective in this way by exploring different angles with my camera.

Final thoughts

It’s not cheating to set up activities to inspire photo opportunities. It’s what you do on your best parenting days so why not have your camera at the ready? I really think the key to play-driven shooting is as simple as just keeping your camera out. If it’s packed away in a cupboard, by the time you’ve spotted the photo opportunity and gone to get it, the moment’s gone.

Good, natural light will always help your photos look better. If I set up an activity near the window, I never have to wait too long before my daughter comes over to investigate. She's used to the camera now, so her play will be interspersed with moments of my joining in and moments where I sit back, observe, prompt, then quietly photograph.

And don’t worry if you don’t get the shot you wanted. What you get instead is the opportunity to practise, which is so valuable. As with play, there are no failures, only opportunities to learn.

If you’d like to explore more ways to to photograph your kids, whether that’s with an iPhone or DSLR click here to get your free copy of Simple Snaps.

Suzie x

P.S. This post contains affiliate links to things I am recommending, which means that if you decide to use them, I might receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

10 PLAY PROMPTS TO PHOTOGRAPH YOUR TODDLER