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At your child's critical age of growing up, he needs to understand how the world works. Playing boosts his imagination and develops artistic skills. Give your toddler the opportunity to explore and learn how things around him behave. Provide all kinds if materials, from toy shops to plain raw materials passed on by his big brother or sister; it would be good for him to experiment on.
Here are some of the fundamental plays and toys that your toddler must experience early on.
Natural Materials
He must learn where the natural things around him come from. This kind of learning would not come to him automatically like crawling or walking. His discoveries would make him realise how a stone floor and water behaves when he touches them. And that water and milk does not just poof into their bottles or cartons.
Water Play
Playing water would teach your child that it splashes, runs, soaks, pours, and becomes cold after a while of playing with it. During bath time, he would discover that bubbles could be blown and fly away. That some things or toys that he puts in it floats, sinks, and dissolves. He could hold it together but it would leak out of his cupped hands. And that it also seeps through papers, fabrics, and sponges. Having a washing-up bowl, small containers to fill and empty, with food-coloured water and whisk could add more fun.
Earth, Clay, and Colours
Your child must learn to enjoy earth or soil without shuddering as it squidge into their hands. Natural earth could be messy that some parents give their children playdoughs or clay instead. Toddlers must discover that this certain material could be rolled, shaped, moulded, and pounded without getting their hands hurt. Let them also realise that more water makes it stickier, less makes it hard to handle, drying out makes it solid, and mixing different colours wil have a different one. Coloured clays, washable paints, and crayons would help them develop their creativity.
Stones and Leaves
Children naturally love the outdoors. This is the first step to introduce your child to nature's fascinating shapes and textures. Your toddlers are not ready yet to know geology or botany through stones and leaves. They, however, are ready to observe stones' texture and color that may change as it dries up and tree twigs that could bend and snap into two pieces. You would be amazed how these simple things could make your little one say "wow!"
Blocks
Building blocks will be a big part of your child's development. Its varying colours are fun but varying shapes are more essential. These would develop their basic building skills; putting them end to end makes a line or fence, piling them up smallest underneath would easily fall, and that piling them up largest underneath could stand higher.
Fitting and Stacking Toys
Discovering round toys will not fit into square holes, big things will not fit smaller ones, and complex shapes could still fit holes if angled right, are the best way to develop your children's simple analytical skills.
Ride-on and Electronic Toys
Though a bit more expensive, ride-on toys could develop your toddler's independence and electronic toys could encourage them to discover new words and sounds.
To parents, toys could be eventually annoying but these are the things that would help your child discover, experiment, and learn how things work and make them work. Let your child discover principles and manipulations in a fun way.Read our blogs by women for women * Enter our great competitions * Collect your FREE gift bag today * Send us your photos and share your story * Other articles you might like.