Family Board Games: The Best Choices for 2026

Family evenings are precious. And nothing brings young and old together better than a good board game. But with hundreds of titles available in France, it can be hard to know where to start. Which game is suitable for what age? Should you prioritize competition or cooperation? How long does a game last? This guide answers these questions and helps you find the ideal board game for your family.

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Summary

1. Why play as a family?
2. How to choose a board game suitable for the whole family?
3. The best family board games by category
4. Board games by age group
5. Cooperative vs. Competitive Games: What to choose?
6. Essential board game brands in France
7. FAQ: All about family board games

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1. Why Play as a Family?

In an increasingly connected world, board games offer a precious break from screens. Playing together is much more than just entertainment:

Strengthening family bonds — Sharing a game creates lasting memories and strengthens the bond between parents and children.

Developing essential skills — Strategy, patience, emotional management, teamwork: board games are true life schools.

Stimulating intelligence — Memory, logic, vocabulary, mental math: each game challenges different cognitive skills.

Learning to win and lose — A fundamental lesson for children, taught naturally and kindly around a table.

According to a French study from 2025, families who play together at least once a week report better communication and reduced stress levels in children.

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2. How to Choose a Board Game Suitable for the Whole Family?

Before buying, ask yourself the right questions:

Players' ages — A game that is too complex frustrates the youngest, too simple bores adults. Look for games with modular rules or those accessible from 6-7 years old.

Number of players — Check the minimum and maximum number of participants. Some games only work well with 4, others are perfect for 2 or 8.

Game duration — For young children, opt for short games (15-30 minutes). Teenagers and adults will appreciate longer, more strategic games.

Complexity level — Distinguish between family games (simple rules, accessible to all) and expert games (advanced mechanics, longer learning curve).

Theme — Adventure, nature, humor, general knowledge, building: choose a universe that appeals to the whole family.

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3. The Best Family Board Games by Category

Accessible Strategy Games

The Settlers of Catan (Catan) — The unshakeable classic. Each player builds their empire by trading resources. Accessible from 10 years old, a game lasts about 60 to 90 minutes. Ideal for introducing children to strategy and negotiation.

Ticket to Ride — Build train lines across Europe or the world. Simple to learn, difficult to master. Recommended from 8 years old for a duration of 45 to 75 minutes.

Azul — An elegantly designed tile-placement game. The rules are learned in 5 minutes, but the games are always intense. Perfect from 8 years old.

Cooperative Games

Pandemic — The team of players must collectively curb global epidemics. An emblematic cooperative game, ideal for learning to collaborate. From 8 years old.

Hanabi — A unique cooperative card game where... you don't see your own cards! Brilliant and accessible from 8 years old, perfect for families looking for an original experience.

Magic Maze — Real-time cooperation, without verbal communication. Very fun and accessible from 6 years old for children's versions.

Speed and Reflex Games

Dobble — The classic French game par excellence. Find the common symbol between two cards as quickly as possible. Ideal from 6 years old, games last 10 minutes. An essential for aperitifs and family evenings.

Jungle Speed — Reflexes and laughter guaranteed. Each player must grab the totem if two cards match. From 7 years old.

Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — Hilarious, fast-paced, accessible from 8 years old. The perfect game to unwind with family.

General Knowledge and Word Games

Trivial Pursuit Family — The family version of the famous general knowledge game, with questions adapted for children and adults. From 8 years old.

Codenames — Two teams compete to find their secret agents using single-word clues. Excellent for families with children from 10 years old.

Bananagrams — Form words with your letters as quickly as possible. Stimulating, fast-paced, and no board. From 7 years old.

Creative and Atmosphere Games

Dixit — Tell stories from poetic and surreal illustrations. A beautiful, gentle, and imaginative game. Perfect for creative families from 6 years old.

Mysterium — One player embodies a ghost who communicates only through visual cards. Guaranteed atmosphere, ideal from 10 years old.

Concept Kids — The children's version of the famous Concept. Guess words using colored pawns, without speaking or drawing. From 4 years old.

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4. Board Games by Age Group

From 4 years old

• Concept Kids
• Memory
• Uno (simplified version)
• Classic Goose and Race Games

From 6 years old

• Dobble
• Jungle Speed
• Premier Éveil (Nathan)
• Magic Maze Kids

From 8 years old

• Dixit
• Pandemic
• Azul
• Ticket to Ride My First Journey

From 10 years old

• Catan
• Codenames
• Mysterium
• 7 Wonders Duel

From 12 years old and adults

• Ticket to Ride Europe
• Wingspan
• Terraforming Mars
• Sherlock Holmes Consulting Detective

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5. Cooperative vs. Competitive Games: What to Choose?

This is one of the most frequent questions from parents. Here's how to decide:

Choose a cooperative game if...

• Your child has trouble with losing
• You want to strengthen teamwork
• There are significant skill differences between players
• You are looking for a calming and supportive experience

Choose a competitive game if...

• Your family enjoys challenges and healthy rivalry
• You want to learn to manage frustration and victory
• Players have relatively balanced skill levels
• You are looking for more intense and strategic games

Our advice: Start with cooperative games for young children, then gradually introduce competition from 7-8 years old.

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6. Essential Board Game Brands in France (2026)

Asmodee — The European leader in board games. Publisher of Dixit, Catan, Ticket to Ride, Codenames, and many other successes. Based in France, Asmodee distributes the biggest global licenses.

Djeco — French specialist in children's games. Carefully designed, educational, and durable graphic creations for ages 2-10.

Gigamic — French publisher renowned for its abstract strategy games like Quoridor, Quarto, and Katamino. Simple, elegant, and timeless games.

Repos Production — Creator of 7 Wonders and Concept, two globally successful board games. A leading Belgian company.

Iello — Dynamic French publisher, known for King of Tokyo, Welcome To…, and a great family range.

Ravensburger — The essential German brand for puzzles and classic games, very popular in French households.

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7. FAQ: All About Family Board Games

What is the best board game for a family with children aged 6 and 10? Dobble and Dixit are perfect for mixing these two age groups. They are accessible, fast-paced, and fun for young and old. Ticket to Ride My First Journey can also be suitable with some guidance.

What board games can be played by 2 players as a family? Azul, 7 Wonders Duel, Patchwork, or Hive are excellent two-player games. Some classics like chess or Scrabble remain timeless.

How much does a good board game cost in France in 2026? A quality family board game generally costs between €15 and €45. Large strategy games or collector's editions can exceed €50. A good investment when you consider that a box can last for years.

Are board games good for children's development? Absolutely. They develop memory, logic, patience, vocabulary, and social skills. Pediatricians and teachers regularly recommend board games as a complement to school learning.

Where can I buy quality board games in France? Find our entire selection of family board games directly on our online store. Free delivery from €49 of purchase anywhere in metropolitan France.

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Conclusion

Whether you're looking for a game for the holidays, a birthday gift, or simply an activity for your family evenings, board games are a sure bet. Accessible, durable, and universal, they span generations and create moments of authentic joy.

Browse our catalog of family board games now and find the game that will make your whole family's eyes light up.

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Article written by our editorial team — Updated April 2026

Educational Toys: The Complete Guide to Choosing Wisely in 2026

Educational toys are much more than simple entertainment objects. They support your child's development at every stage of growth, stimulate their curiosity, and reinforce their learning. But with such a vast offering, how do you find the ideal educational toy for your child? This complete guide helps you make the right choice.

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Table of Contents

1. What is an educational toy?
2. Why choose an educational toy?
3. The best educational toys by age group
4. Different categories of educational toys
5. How to choose a quality educational toy?
6. Essential educational toy brands in France
7. FAQ: Your questions about educational toys

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1. What is an educational toy?

An educational toy is a toy designed to promote a child's learning and development while providing enjoyment. It can work on fine motor skills, language, logic, creativity, or even socialization, depending on the child's age and needs.

Contrary to popular belief, an educational toy does not necessarily look like a school textbook. It can take the form of a puzzle, a construction set, a musical instrument, or even a board game.

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2. Why choose an educational toy?

Giving your child an educational toy is an investment in their future. Here are the main benefits:

Cognitive development — Educational toys stimulate memory, concentration, and problem-solving skills from an early age.

Creative fulfillment — Construction, art, or role-playing games encourage imagination and self-expression.

Learning through play — The child assimilates complex concepts (numbers, letters, science) naturally and without pressure.

Social development — Cooperative games teach respect for rules, sharing, and communication.

School preparation — Many educational toys gently prepare children for fundamental school learning.

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3. The Best Educational Toys by Age Group

Educational toys for babies (0 to 12 months)

At this age, sensory awakening is a priority. Favor:

• Activity mats with textures, colors, and sounds
• Rattles and teething rings made from natural materials
• Musical mobiles to stimulate vision and hearing
• Fabric books with marked shapes and contrasts

Our advice: Opt for wooden or natural rubber toys, BPA-free, CE certified.

Educational toys for 1-3 year olds

The period of intense exploration. The essentials:

• Wooden inlay puzzles (shapes, animals, colors)
• Stacking and sorting games to develop logic
• Montessori activity boards for fine motor skills
• First interactive books with sound buttons

Educational toys for 3-6 year olds

The "why" age. Focus on:

• Construction games like LEGO DUPLO or Kapla
• Children's science kits (simple experiments)
• Cooperative board games (Djeco, Nathan)
• Magnetic boards with letters and numbers

Educational toys for 6-12 year olds

Time for complexity and creativity:

• Strategy games (chess, checkers, Catan Junior)
• Robotics and coding kits (Lego Mindstorms, Makeblock)
• Microscopes and telescopes for children
• Word and general knowledge games

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4. Different Categories of Educational Toys

Montessori Toys

Inspired by Maria Montessori's pedagogy, these toys promote autonomy and sensory learning. They are generally made of natural wood, without frills, and respect the child's rhythm. Very popular with French parents in 2026.

STEM Toys

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) toys prepare children for future careers. Electronics kits, programmable robots, scientific experiments: these toys combine learning and fun.

Educational Board Games

From classic Scrabble to new cooperative games, board games develop vocabulary, logic, memory, and a sense of fair play. Ideal for family evenings.

Creative and Artistic Toys

Painting, sculpting, music, crafts: these toys unleash a child's artistic expression and boost their self-confidence.

Language Toys

Picture dictionaries, bilingual books, complementary educational apps: they promote language acquisition and learning foreign languages from an early age.

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5. How to Choose a Quality Educational Toy?

Before buying, check these essential criteria:

The recommended age group — A toy unsuitable for the child's age can be dangerous or uninteresting. Always respect the manufacturer's instructions.

Safety and certifications — In France, all toys sold must bear the CE marking. Prefer toys made of FSC certified wood or recycled plastic without toxic substances.

Durability — A good educational toy must withstand repeated handling. Check the quality of materials and customer reviews.

Educational value — Ask yourself what skills the toy concretely develops: motor skills, logic, language, creativity?

Scalability — The best toys grow with the child and offer multiple difficulty levels.

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6. Essential Educational Toy Brands in France (2026)

Djeco — Iconic French brand, renowned for its artistic and creative games with refined designs.

Nathan — A benchmark for puzzles, board games, and educational materials for 2-10 year olds.

Janod — Specialist in quality wooden toys, with a great Montessori range.

LEGO — The Danish giant remains unrivalled for creative constructions and themed sets.

Orchard Toys — Colorful and accessible educational board games from 3 years old.

Buki France — Science kits and experiments for curious children aged 6 to 14.

Clementoni — Puzzles, educational games, and STEM toys for all ages.

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7. FAQ: Your Questions about Educational Toys

What educational toy should I give a 2-year-old? At 2 years old, prioritize wooden inlay puzzles, stacking games, interactive books, and Montessori activity boards. The goal is to stimulate fine motor skills and the recognition of shapes and colors.

Are educational toys really effective? Yes, numerous pediatric studies confirm that play is the best vehicle for learning in children. A well-chosen toy can significantly accelerate cognitive and language development.

What is the difference between a Montessori toy and a classic toy? A Montessori toy is designed to encourage autonomy, sensory exploration, and concentration. It is generally simple, made of natural materials, and has only one clearly defined function. A classic toy can be multifunctional and more visually stimulating.

From what age can children start with STEM toys? From 3 years old with simple construction sets. Robotics and coding kits are recommended from 6-7 years old.

Where can I buy quality educational toys in France? You can find a wide selection of certified educational toys directly on our online store, with fast delivery throughout mainland France and overseas territories.

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Conclusion

Investing in a quality educational toy means offering your child much more than just a gift: it means giving them the tools to learn, grow, and flourish at their own pace. Whether you are looking for an early learning toy for a baby, a science kit for a curious child, or a board game for the whole family, our catalog meets all needs.

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Article written by our editorial team — Updated April 2026

Awakening through play: what science now knows about toys for 0-3 year olds

By Anaïs Lebrun · April 9, 2026 · 14 min read

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Three years. That's the length of a municipal presidency, a university master's degree, or a gym membership one never uses. But it is also, and above all, the most intense and critical period of human brain development. In just three years, a child transitions from total dependence to walking, language, symbolic thought, and self-awareness. A neurological feat unparalleled in the rest of existence.

And throughout this period, they play. Or rather—because the distinction is important—they explore. Because for a child under three, playing and learning are not two separate activities. They are two words for the same thing.

Consequently, the question of toys takes on a new dimension. It's no longer just a matter of entertainment or a birth gift. It's a matter of development. And science, over the past decades, has much to say on the subject.

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A child's brain: a construction site ablaze

To understand the importance of toys in the early years, one must first understand what is happening in a baby's brain. And what is happening there is, simply put, quite spectacular.

At birth, the human brain has about one hundred billion neurons—as many as in an adult. But these neurons are still largely isolated from each other. What will happen during the first thirty-six months is the frantic formation of connections between these neurons—the synapses. At its peak, around the age of two, a child's brain forms approximately one million new synaptic connections per second. Per second.

But this proliferation is followed by an equally crucial process: synaptic pruning. The brain, in its evolutionary wisdom, eliminates connections it doesn't use and strengthens those it regularly engages. This principle—often summarized by the phrase "use it or lose it"—means, concretely, that the experiences a child has in their early years literally shape the architecture of their adult brain.

What the child touches, sees, hears, feels, manipulates, and explores during these years is therefore not insignificant. It is the material with which their brain builds itself. And toys, as privileged objects of exploration, play a central role in this process.

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What research says about toys

Studies on the impact of toys on child development have multiplied since the 1990s, driven in particular by advances in brain imaging that now allow us to observe the brain in action in real time. The conclusions, sometimes counter-intuitive, are worth knowing.

Less stimulation, more learning

One of the most surprising—and most useful for parents—discoveries is that technologically sophisticated toys are not necessarily the most beneficial for development. A study published in 2015 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics compared the impact of different types of toys on the language development of children between ten and sixteen months. The result: electronic toys, with their sounds, lights, and recorded voices, produced significantly fewer verbal interactions between parents and children than books or traditional non-electronic toys. By capturing the child's attention, the electronic toy paradoxically reduced their learning opportunities.

This finding aligns with what neuropsychologists call the "child as actor" principle: the brain learns best when it is in a position to act on the world rather than passively receive it. A toy that does everything for the child leaves little room for them to build their own understanding.

The irreplaceable value of free play

Another strong conclusion from contemporary research concerns free play—that is, undirected play, without a predefined goal, where the child alone decides what they do and how. Researchers like Peter Gray, a psychologist at Boston University, have shown that free play is essential for the development of emotional self-regulation, creativity, and social skills—and that its progressive decline in children's schedules is directly correlated with the rise in anxiety and depressive disorders in young people.

The best toys for free play are those that offer the most possibilities with the fewest constraints. A stick, a cardboard box, a pile of sand—these loosely defined objects are rich in potential because the child can make them whatever they want. Conversely, a toy that can only be used in one way quickly exhausts its play potential.

The importance of touch

Research in sensory neuroscience has highlighted the crucial importance of touch in the cognitive development of young children. The skin is the body's largest sensory organ, and in infants, it is also one of the primary channels for exploring the world. Varied textures—smooth, rough, soft, grainy, firm, flexible—activate different areas of the brain and contribute to the construction of mental representations of objects.

This observation has direct implications for toy selection. A rattle that offers several different textures is preferable to a uniform rattle. A set of blocks combining smooth wood, fabric, and cellular plastic is sensorially richer than a single-material set. And the famous fabric books for babies, often considered mere gadgets, actually correspond to a solidly supported pedagogical intuition.

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Month-by-month development: which toys for which stage?

Child development does not follow a straight line, and every child has their own pace. But there are major developmental windows that help guide toy choices appropriately.

0 to 3 months: the world comes into view

At this age, the infant is still largely limited in movement, but their senses are intensely awake. Vision is still blurry beyond twenty to thirty centimeters—the exact distance separating a baby's face held in arms from the face of the person holding them. This is no coincidence: the human face is the first and most important of all toys.

Mobiles, suspended above the crib, are perfectly suited to this stage. Black and white contrasts, which the young visual system processes more easily than pastel colors, capture attention and stimulate visual development. Soft, repetitive sounds—chimes, music boxes—begin to create the first associations between sound and movement.

4 to 6 months: the hand discovers the world

This is the age of the first voluntary grasps. The hand becomes an exploratory tool that the child learns to control with admirable concentration. Lightweight rattles, teething rings with varied textures, hanging activity toys that respond to kicks—anything that invites grasping, shaking, pulling, and pushing is perfectly suited.

The mouth remains a major organ of exploration at this age—as parents well know, consistently finding drooled-on toys on the sofa. This is not a phase to discourage: mouthing is a way for the child to obtain sensory information that their still-clumsy hand cannot yet collect as effectively. Therefore, material safety is an absolute priority.

7 to 12 months: exploring space

The acquisition of sitting, then crawling, then standing radically transforms the child's relationship with space. Their field of exploration expands considerably, and with it, their relationship with objects. This is the age of object permanence—the fascinating discovery that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer seen. The seemingly simple peek-aboo game is actually a fundamental exercise in understanding this permanence.

Cause-and-effect toys—pressing a button to hear a sound, pulling a string to see a character appear—are perfectly suited to this stage. Stacking and knocking down blocks, objects to slide into holes, balls of different sizes and textures—all are invitations to understand the elementary laws of physics through direct experimentation.

12 to 24 months: the explosion of the symbolic

The second year of life is marked by a major cognitive revolution: the emergence of symbolic thought. The child begins to understand that one object can represent another—that a banana can pretend to be a phone, a cushion can be a boat, a doll can be hungry. This is the beginning of "pretend" play, one of the most sophisticated forms of human mental activity.

Toys that support this development are those that open the door to representation: small animal or people figurines, miniature play kitchens, vehicles that travel in imaginary settings. Picture books also fall into this category—they allow the child to connect a two-dimensional representation with a real object or being.

Gross motor skills continue to develop rapidly at this age. Ride-on toys, walkers, appropriately sized climbing structures—anything that allows for running, climbing, pushing, pulling, and carrying corresponds to an intense physiological need and must absolutely be part of the play environment.

24 to 36 months: towards autonomy

The third year is one of self-assertion—sometimes with a bang, as any parent of a two-and-a-half-year-old painfully knows. It is also the age when fine motor skills make spectacular progress, language explodes, and the first social interactions with peers begin to have real meaning.

Simple puzzles, shape sorters, first constructions with blocks—anything that requires precision, planning, and perseverance corresponds to this stage. Parallel play, in which two children play side-by-side without truly playing together, foreshadows the cooperative games that will flourish in subsequent years.

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The trap of overstimulation

The love that parents have for their children naturally pushes them to want to offer the best possible environment, the best opportunities, the best experiences. And in a society that values performance and optimization, this laudable intention can easily lead to overstimulation.

A child surrounded by too many toys, constantly exposed to varied stimuli, without ever having the opportunity to be bored, is a child deprived of an essential experience: that of endogenous generation. Boredom—that uncomfortable moment when there is nothing external to capture attention—forces the brain to turn to its own resources. It is in these moments that the richest imaginary games, the most inventive stories, the most personal discoveries are born.

Researchers like British psychologist Sandie Mann have shown that children who are regularly allowed to be bored develop significantly higher creativity than those whose time is constantly filled. A room overflowing with toys is not an enriching environment—it is an exhausting environment that disperses attention without ever allowing it time to focus.

Toy rotation—the principle of exposing only a portion of available toys at any given time, putting the rest away and reintroducing them later—is a simple and effective practice for maintaining interest without overstimulating.

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What parents provide that no toy can replace

The most consistent conclusion of all research on early childhood development can be summarized in one sentence: the best toy in the world cannot replace a present, attentive, and engaged adult.

This is not an invitation to guilt. It is simply a reminder that human interaction is the substrate upon which everything else is built. A child who plays alone with the most sophisticated toy on the market learns infinitely less than a child who plays with an ordinary object in the company of an adult who comments, encourages, names, questions, and marvels with them.

The language that accompanies play is perhaps the most determining factor in early cognitive development. Naming colors, shapes, actions—"you're stacking the red cube on the blue cube, well done!"—is not an innocuous activity. It is literally the construction of the inner language with which the child will think throughout their life.

Playing with your child, truly playing, with curiosity and without distraction, is perhaps the most worthwhile parental investment there is. And it costs nothing.

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Some principles for choosing without getting lost

Faced with the plethora of options and often confusing marketing messages, a few simple principles can help guide you.

Prefer open-ended to closed-ended. A toy that can be used in ten different ways is preferable to a toy that can only be used in one way, even if sophisticated. The richness of a toy is measured by the diversity of play it allows, not by its intrinsic features.

Prioritize quality over quantity. A few well-chosen toys, appropriate for the child's developmental stage and offering genuine opportunities for exploration, are better than an avalanche of objects that accumulate without really being used.

Trust the child. They know, better than any expert, what they need at any given moment. A child who systematically neglects a toy is trying to tell us something. A child who returns again and again to the same object, however modest, is also telling us something.

And above all, remember that the goal is not to produce a child who develops optimally according to all available indicators. The goal is to support a human being who explores the world with curiosity, confidence, and joy. The rest follows.

"What a child needs to thrive is not the best toy in the catalog. It's someone to play with them."

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Anaïs Lebrun is a developmental psychologist and associate researcher at Université Paris Cité. She specializes in early interactions and the impact of the play environment on the cognitive development of young children.