Time to Play
Toddlers are into absolutely everything. They are in the process of developing their large motor skills and hand eye coordination – rapidly. They love to move things, pull and push their ride on toys, open and close toddler toys and any toys (like wooden toys) which make noises.
Play is how toddlers learn about the world, and their toys have an important role in this. That needn’t mean a lot of expense – for example, you can make a good ‘den’ using a clothes rack and an old sheet, a house from a big cardboard box, or a shoe shop with all your shoes laid out in a row. A cardboard box can become a space rocket. That old hat you bought for a wedding can make them into a scarecrow.
However, a few key toys will prove a good investment.
Sit-and-ride or push-along toys
These will help with early walking. Make sure the toy is sturdy and will not tip over easily if your toddler uses it to pull themself to their feet. These toys can be used in many kinds of play, especially if they have a storage section and can be loaded with smaller items. They make a good first birthday present as they are likely to be used daily for the next year or more.
‘Little people’ toys
Any toy that has several small people within it (a bus or plane with passengers, or moveable figures that fit inside a house) will allow your toddler to play at organising the world. They can be in charge, choose where people go and what they do. You may well find them talking as they play – about going to the shops, the park, grandma’s – remembering the things you do together.
This reflects their growing understanding of the world.
Bath toys
Most toddlers need a bath at the end of the day to get clean and to help them get ready for bed so bath toys are always good value. They teach lessons about cause and effect: “If I fill up the little boat, it sinks…” and also provide straightforward fun as they splash in the water.
‘Grown-up’ toys
Toddlers often imitate the things they see you doing. Offer them a mini dustpan and brush, plastic garden trowel and fork, or just their own cloth so they can ‘help’ you with the dusting. Water, bricks, sand – these simple things will help your toddler learn some basic things about the world. Play-dough can be moulded into very satisfying shapes. Why do some things change shape but others don’t? What makes the loudest crash when it’s dropped? Why will bricks stack on top of each other but balls won’t?
Push-along toys, shape-sorters and simple puzzles can all be fun, especially if you help. As they get older, CD players they can operate themselves to listen to music, rhymes and stories will be enjoyable too. And every toddler likes crayons and finger paints. This is the time when masterpieces start decorating the kitchen walls!
Just as your toddler in the second and third year learns to use their body they will spend a lot of time learning how to ‘be’ in the world as well. They may want to imitate their parents and will appreciate ‘real life’ toys like a tea set or a tool set so they can copy you. When you go out they may want to push their teddy in a buggy or drive a toy car. There will be times when you need to explain that this just isn’t going to work – but allow it when you can.
Make-believe games will become more important as your child grows. Dressing-up clothes are simple. Just a collection of your own old clothes, shoes and handbags can allow your child to be a doctor, a firefighter, a train driver, or a daddy to their toys.
Garden games
If you have outside space a sandpit, paddling pool or mini climbing frame will get plenty of use each summer although they can be expensive. But even a cheap inflatable beach ball will get your toddler running about, rolling round on it, and learning how to kick and throw.
Safety mark
Before you buy any toy remember to check that it carries a Specification for the safety of toys NZ, which means that it meets the required minimum safety standards. Also check that it’s suitable for your child’s age.
Remember
Many activities need no special toys – playing with water in the kitchen sink, a walk to the park, a shopping trip to the supermarket, a ride on a bus, or half an hour bouncing on the bed can all give shared pleasure.
Toys Library
The Toy library Federation of NZ have a website pointing people to their nearest toy library
www.toylibrary.co.nz
Collapsible content
Reading with your Toddler
Television
Top TV tips for your toddler:
- be in charge of what they watch right from the start
- watch TV with them so you can talk about the programme together, then switch it off
- choose programmes made for their age group – those with lots of activity for them to copy and the repetition that they love at this age
- don’t let them watch more than an hour a day (that will probably be as much as you can stand anyway!)
- don’t get into the habit of using the TV as a ‘babysitter’ while you catch up on the housework or make a phone call.
Most television programmes don’t wait for your toddler to catch up and work out what’s going on. There are a few programmes, though, that do engage a toddler’s attention and teach new ideas, songs and stories. They will enjoy them more if you watch with them and talk about what you see. Some DVDs become like favourite books and are watched over and over. Perhaps, not only because toddlers like consistency, which gives them a sense of security in the world, but also because they understand more of what’s happening every time they watch. TV and DVDs are a useful babysitter when you’ve got something you need to do, but they can’t beat the fun and learning that they gain from interacting with people in the real world – the best way for them to develop their language and social skills!
Outdoor Play
Outdoor play is important because kids really gain a sense of mastery and competency of skills from outdoor play. When they do something like climb up a little dirt hill and manoeuvre their way down, they learn they can do this, which really adds to their sense of confidence. They also gain important physical skills because they are learning to run and use their bodies in different ways than if they were playing indoors. There’s also a lot of social interaction that goes on when they play outdoors. Because they generally receive less direction from adults, they can learn by running, yelling, and using their outside voices. They learn what’s appropriate in this setting that may not be appropriate in other settings.
In activities such as water play or sand play, kids are pouring sand back and forth into containers of different sizes, shapes, and volume. So they see that “this much water or sand fits into this container” which they can learn from. Outdoor play is less structured, so it naturally gives children more opportunity for discovery. It gives them a sense of freedom, because adults back off a little bit more outside and allow kids to run and play with more energy and enthusiasm. Even when you do activities outside, that you normally do indoors, they teach kids different skills. Building with blocks on an uneven surface outside, or playing with toy cars in the grass teaches them about different textures, sounds, and smells because the environment is naturally different from the indoors. Children learn from playing in an environment that’s not sanitized. Outdoor play is often louder, with more physical movement. Kids also engage in different social interaction. Oftentimes when children are doing activities indoors, they aren’t given a choice of who to work with on the activity. But when they go outside, you will see groups of 2 or 3 children playing together and they learn different social skills in those smaller groups. Kids also can learn about space, distance, and time in different ways. For example, a child might ask himself, “How long does it take me to run across the playground?” Outdoor play also adds to intellectual and cognitive development driven by the child’s interest. If they are interested in dramatic play or superhero play, they can do that safely outdoors with supervision. They are learning about their place in the word such as, “Who am I and how do I fit into the world?” Kids take their learning from each and every day and build on their learning with different experiences. There are a few things to keep in mind when preparing your outdoor play area. The first thing to consider is children’s safety. Ask yourself, “Is there anything that a child can get hurt on?” Then you want to create areas where children can have a variety of experiences. You don’t need a lot of money to create this kind of area. Children can create dramatic play outdoors with very little material. Allow them to create dramatic play with their minds. Let them explore their environment through their minds. Remember to make sure you supervise play if it turns into superhero play so that no one gets hurt. Kids can use their natural environment in dramatic play. Sometimes a big pile of leaves or a tree is all they need for dramatic play.
Anita Britt, Ph. D.
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles