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Research & Evidence

Grounded in behavioural science. Co-designed with families. Backed by Innovate UK.

Play Moments was built on extensive research commissioned from Social Change and funded by Innovate UK (2025).

Over 500 parents and four co-design workshops across the UK informed every aspect of the platform, from how families engage with play to how they prefer to receive support.

RESEARCH

Our approach

At Play Moments, we believe innovation in the early years must be both human and evidence-based.
That’s why our approach blends behavioural science, co-design, and early childhood expertise, ensuring everything we create works for families, not just on paper.

Our research followed the Double Diamond model and embedded behavioural science frameworks such as COM-B, the Behaviour Change Wheel, MINDSPACE, and EAST. This ensured we didn’t just capture what parents do, but why, revealing the emotional, environmental, and cognitive barriers that shape daily parenting behaviours. 

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Behavioural science

Our research applies proven frameworks such as COM-B, The Behaviour Change Wheel, EAST, and MINDSPACE  to understand what really drives family behaviour.
This helps us design digital guidance that feels natural, motivating, and achievable for time-poor, emotionally stretched parents.

We don’t just study what families do, we uncover why they do it, and design for that reality.

Co-designed with families and early years practitioners

We’ve co-designed Play Moments with 500+ parents and carers, alongside early years practitioners, speech and language therapists, psychologists, and SEND specialists.


Each insight was tested and refined through workshops, sacrificial concepts, and live prototypes, ensuring the final experience meets families where they are.

Families helped shape everything, from the tone of messages to how ideas fit into real evenings at home.

Grounded in the EYFS and DfE frameworks

Every activity, outcome, and prompt in Play Moments is mapped against the EYFS areas of learning and DfE school readiness goals.


This alignment helps local authorities and Family Hubs integrate Play Moments within their existing early years, SEND, and communication strategies.

Continuous learning & impact measurement

Play Moments isn’t static. Every pilot generates anonymised data that helps partners see what works, and helps us refine our tools for greater impact.


Our goal is to create a living system that learns from families in real time, improving the way early years support is delivered across the UK.

Our Theory of Change

From small moments to lasting impact. 

We believe that early support shouldn’t depend on luck, postcode, or waiting lists.
Every family deserves timely, trusted guidance, because the everyday moments at home are where the biggest developmental gains happen.

Play Moments connects families, practitioners, and local systems to make that possible.

The Challenge

  • Families want to help their children learn but face conflicting advice, self-doubt, and limited access to trusted support.

  • Local services are stretched, making early intervention inconsistent and reactive.

  • Children’s speech, language, and emotional needs often go unaddressed until school, when support is costlier and less effective.

 

Our Inputs

  • Behavioural science: understanding real barriers to early learning and parenting confidence.

  • Co-design with parents and practitioners: ensuring guidance fits real family life.

  • Expert-led content: activities built around EYFS, PSED, and Communication & Language outcomes.

  • Digital delivery: nudges and daily guidance accessible anytime, anywhere.

  • Data insights: anonymised engagement and outcome tracking for local partners.

 

Our Activities

  • Deliver personalised daily prompts that help families build language, emotional regulation, and connection.

  • Offer in-the-moment strategies for tricky times like transitions, bedtime, or meltdowns.

  • Provide accessible guidance for families on SEND and speech & language waiting lists.

  • Share local impact dashboards with councils and Family Hubs to identify trends, engagement, and needs in real time.

Our Outcomes

For families:

  • Increased parental confidence and reduced stress.

  • Stronger communication and emotional bonds.

  • Early skill growth in speech, language, and self-regulation.

For practitioners and partners:

  • Extended reach without added workload.

  • Improved data visibility and targeted early action.

  • Reduced demand on overstretched services.

Our long-term impact

  • Children start school confident, communicative, and ready to learn.

  • Families feel empowered, not overwhelmed.

  • Local authorities and health partners reduce inequalities through scalable, proactive support.

  • The early years system shifts from crisis response to prevention — guided by real-time data and human connection.

Ready to work with us?

Let’s create a world where every family gets the right support, right when they need it.

We partner with local authorities, researchers, and organisations who share our mission to close early years gaps through innovation and empathy.

White-Label Partnerships

Use our core technology and evidence-based framework to power your own branded early years or family support offer, fully customisable for your region or programme.

Content & Expert Collaboration

Work with us to co-create or integrate specialist content (e.g., speech & language, wellbeing, parenting, SEND support) backed by research and adapted for digital delivery.

Research & Evaluation Partners

Collaborate on pilots, longitudinal studies, or evaluations to measure early intervention impact, family outcomes, and behavioural change at scale.

Local Implementation Pilots

Run Play Moments in your area to strengthen family engagement, gather insights, and track measurable outcomes across communication, wellbeing, and school readiness.

Policy & Innovation Partners

Join us in shaping the national conversation on equitable early support, through joint initiatives, innovation funding bids, and cross-sector collaborations.

Book a call now