Understanding Play and Learning

Your toddler is very active between the ages 1 and 3.

She will be using her new physical and verbal skills to explore everything around her.

As he grows, your toddler will spend less time exploring and more time playing. And play is your child's "work" as he practices and masters new mental, physical, and social skills.

To help your child with her development, plan ways to explore new and interesting things at home and in your neighborhood.

• Think about new play ideas involving shapes, colors, textures, and sizes.

• Take trips to new places-stores, parks, or a zoo. Talk about what you find there.

• Let your child wash plastic dishes with you, or give her toys to play with in the bathtub. (And be ready to mop up a mess!)

• Provide safe places to crawl into, hide in, climb, and explore. (For example, you could drape a bed sheet over a table to make a pretend cave.)

• Talk about what you see and hear while walking, riding the bus, or driving in the car.

• Let your child help you prepare simple food to explore all the textures, shapes, flavors, and colors. (Again, be prepared for a mess.)

by: jil0504 at 06:32 | link | comments

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