Play Outside with Me

Play Outside With Me is a board book that invites children to go on a playdate of their choosing with Sam and her friend, Squirrel.

What I Liked: I love that this book encourages autonomy in young children and models what shared play looks like. This book provides toddlers and preschoolers someone to play with them for times in which a quiet activity is needed. I love that children can interact with this book and there are natural pauses built in for their responses to questions. I also appreciate the way this book transitions to ask children what they would like the last thing they do outside to be before playtime is over.

Final Verdict: Play Outside with Me is a great book to show children what a caring and considerate friendship looks like. This is a great book to help children develop social skills through practicing conversation while they are having fun.

In "Play Outside With Me," the main character, Sam, heads to the playground with their trusty stuffed squirrel (aptly named Squirrel—a choice that resonates perfectly with the age group this book is aimed at). As Sam and Squirrel explore the playground, they invite the reader to join in, introducing different activities on each page, which makes for a fun, varied experience.
What I love most about this book is how it keeps little ones engaged. Sam asks questions throughout the story, prompting readers to respond, which is great for practicing verbal communication. Beyond that, Sam is a wonderful role model for how kids should interact with others. Sam regularly checks in with the reader, making sure they're still comfortable with playing together. There's a particularly sweet moment later in the story when Sam reassures the reader, saying, “It’s okay if you don’t want me to.”
My son absolutely loves this book—we've read it countless times already because he enjoys answering all of Sam’s questions. It’s also given me a handy reference point when guiding his interactions with other kids, whether at the playground or elsewhere. "Play Outside With Me" targets toddler and preschool age children, but would still be engaging and valuable for slightly older children. This book would be an excellent resource for teaching social expectations, especially at the start of the school year. However, you might need to tweak a few phrases if you're reading it to a group, because the book is written as a one-on-one conversation. Overall, "Play Outside With Me" is an excellent way for young children to explore the possibilities of playing outside with friends!