In his book, Dr. Karp poignantly states that play is more important than academics during the toddler years. According to Dr. Karp, when a parent plays with their child, they "thrill his senses, boost his people skills, build his confidence, teach him about the world, and on and on." Time-ins help with play.
Dr. Karp goes on to say that there are three types of play: outside play, creative play, and reading. Looking back on my schedule, I try to schedule a time-in for one of each every day. In the morning, we read a book and watch Story Time from our local library together. We go for a run in the morning, then go outside again in the afternoon for either a walk, a trip to the pool or park, or to sit outside and explore. Creative play can be anything from building with blocks or racing toy cars to creating a water station or playing with paint.
A time-in doesn't mean I must be engaged the whole time my son participates in these plays. It means that for a period of time, I put away any distractions and directly interact with what he is doing. When the time-in is over, I can check my phone or go somewhere nearby to involve myself in something else, every now and then coming over to do five- to 10-minute shorter time-ins. In addition, this time alone allows your child to learn to play independently, which is an important skill for toddlers.