Once a toddler completes her first year, she has grown from an infant, dependent on her parents to meet all his needs, to a much defined personality of his own. She needs a lot of activities to keep her engaged. Here are a few toys that will help toddlers learn through play.
Stacking Toys
Stacking toys help a kid learn different sizes and how to fit them together. Show her how to stack blocks one over the other. At first, the parents won’t notice any signs of learning from her. But gradually, she will try to stack the blocks of her own. Most of the kids try to imitate things when the elders are not nearby.
Push-down/Pop-up Toys
Playing with these kinds of toys involves a lot of hand-eye coordination and the child learns about cause and effect. While showing this to the kid, tell her, “When you push it down, it pops up.”
Textured Toys
Provide the kid a lot of textured things to play with. Here are some examples: stuffed dolls, rough stones, egg boxes, bitter guard and shiny paper. Kids have the habit of putting everything in their mouth. So, keep an eye on her when she plays.
Building Blocks
Buy building blocks that fit together and come apart easily. At first, a toddler will explore the colors and shapes. Slowly she will try to lock two pieces together. With the parent's help, they will very soon build a house, train or ship. It helps her imagination grow and let her stay focused without distraction.
Modeling Clay
Teach the child how to make shapes out of soft, pliable, colored, non-toxic dough. It is advisable to make the dough at home. In a pan, mix together 2 cups of flour, ½ cup of salt, 2 cups of water, 2tbsp of vegetable oil and ¼ cup cream of tartar. Cook over low heat until formed and not very sticky. Knead the dough with various food colors.
Sand Play
Sand has a lot of interesting properties that a kid can explore. Let the child feel its texture. Help her put more and more sand into a container and let her know that it is getting heavy. Mix the sand with water and show her that it has gone sticky. Provide her plastic containers, spades and other toys to play in the sand. Make sure that the sand is clean.
Crayons and Paper
Introduce crayons and paper at an early stage. It will help the kid start drawing regularly by now. Allow her to experiment with the crayons and ask her what she is trying to draw. Let her draw whatever she wants to.
Providing the right kind of toys to the toddlers has a great effect in improving their learning ability. So, it's parents' duty to get good and safe toys for their toddlers.
Source:
Dr. Cooper, Carol. Johnson's Mother & Baby. London: Dorling Kindersley, 2003.
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