Kitchen Table Blogs
Name: Marianne Szymanski
Kids: son, age 8; daughter, age 5
Works: president and publisher of Toy Tips and Parenting Hints | toytips.com
Favorite part about being a mom: Smiles on my children's faces
Least favorite part about being a mom: Driving here, there and everywhere for this lesson and that
Famous for: Baking homemade cakes for all birthdays
The toddler years are age 1-3. Some argue these years start at age 2 but as preschool programs are focusing younger and younger these days, I think it is important to introduce new toys because there is so much exploration. Don't expect much sharing though. It rarely happens. They has not fully developed that part of the brain yet so toys that encourage following instructions are not easy to do with toddlers. Let them explore and learn on their own.
Children who have learned to identify their five senses now find an interest to use all of them. Learning to walk, speak and imitate sounds and words are the skills to emphasize the most. Toys to choose include simple manipulatives that allow for interaction and self discovery. Musical toys that allow a child to repeat a number, letter and eventually words with sequencing are great choices. Push-pull toys enhance walking and puzzles, nesting blocks and other chunky building sets strengthen spatial relations and hand-eye coordination. Be aware that children at this age put mostly everything in their mouth so the toys should be LARGE in size.
For new toy ideas, visit toytips.com and come follow me on twttter.com/toytips. Marianne
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