Constructive Play Ideas For Little Ones
I have such enthusiasm for teaching young children through play. I am always eager to discover educational toys and activities to help little ones reach their highest potential!
Today, guest blogger Melitsa Avila shares some rich resources for constructive together time with your baby, toddler, or preschooler:
Babies
1. Treasure basket play
2. Homemade Rattle
3. Wooden key ring: Babies love to mouth everything. It’s there way of exploring because the mouth is so sensitive. Wooden key ring has a varied shapes for size comparison, smell of the wood, Feel of the texture of the ribbon v wood. Weight of the keys- how it falls/ sound it makes a multi-sensory experience.
4. Sound of your voice. Kids are attuned to family voices especially their main caregiver. For us that’s the mum. Spend time singing with them. They learn about taking turns; those sounds means something is going to happen ( with an action song) They practice imitating and joining in Calming and bonding experience for both.
5. Blocks: large amount of wooden blocks. ( add variety and color as they get older) (see creative toys part one and part two)
Toddler
1. Bubbles: Make your own with your toddler or buy. Calming activity. Breath control and concentration to use the tongue, lips,and breath in the right ways ( especially good for shaping those muscles for language development) It’s fun and generates movement- running chasing the bubbles, fine motor pinching popping bubbles.
Social activity with other kids side by side play initiate interaction at the park between toddlers. Bubbles are like a magnet you can’t help but spin around in them and feel better!
2. Balls: Various sizes and shapes especially nuby, smooth, leather, plastic. Excellent change to improve large muscles with throwing, kicking sometimes catching. Motor skills of coordination.Chance to work on handling, moving by judging the weight. Focus on texture and language.Creative games allow for unlimited play opportunities( find the biggest/smallest bumpy/smooth which bounces? how far can you throw? Hide the balls to find them)
3. Rice tubs: Multi sensory experience with unlimited creative opportunity.
4. Puzzles: All different types ( floor, story puzzles, handmade photo puzzles, stick in the hole- various subjects) Manipulating their environment and having control. Only one way they will function. Encourages trial and error- perseverance and eventually satisfaction. works on their spatial awareness ( rotating the piece to fit)
5. Painting: encourages their creativity. Gives them a chance to express feelings, emotions and thoughts. The picture/product encourages discussion or a point to start explaining a story.
Encourages language/discussion and is a way to work out the wiggles or change a mood. Use a variety of mediums ( finger paint, shaving foam, mud, paint pens etc).
Preschooler
1. Props box: dress up clothes, material: allow child to create because it’s not predefined. Sheet = sky, magic carpet, cape etc. Pretend play is a must!
2. Playdoh: Make your own. Skills of measuring, science of how liquids/solids work when combined. Chance to create own colours, smells and texture. Universal appeal. You can create anything drawing inspiration from stories, world around, imagination, to complete another project ( food for kitchen). Versatile and creative.
3. Audio books: Make your own. Feeding their minds with ideas, language, story. Precursor to reading, Learn language in context, enjoy safety and comfort and snuggles Spring board to talking about our own stories (journey to Grandma etc)
4. Craft tub ( assorted variety of paper, things that mark, stick) Create collages. Allowing them to create using a variety of resources. Helps with organizational skills ( where to put it) Working with colors, textures for best appeal.Gives them control ( most times we tell them what to do when. Here they can experiment and create and it’s what they say it is.)
5. Bikes, scooter, ride on machines. Exercise those growing muscles. Tame that boundless energy. Encourage motor planning with coordinating the legs to move the bike in the right way to move + the arms to steer and the eyes to see where to go. Improving skill of control (speed) endurance +fun
Melitsa Avila loves encouraging unplugged play with her three smiley active boys. She writes and compiles unplugged play activities for the under 5s in a free weekly email so other parents can enjoy fun appropriate play that’s full of memories. She blogs about play research, activities and ideas at www.play-activities.com/blog. Find Melitsa there or fixing the magical play fort.
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19 February 2009, 6:35 am
What a fantastic post and great lists of fun things to do.
My twins are in between toddler/preschool age and love doing so many of the things already on the list.
Thanks for giving me some more ideas
09 March 2009, 6:58 pm
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