learning
through play

Your toddler will love to learn as she plays. Help her hone her skills through inspiring play with toys and games designed specifically to boost her mental and physical development
You’ll have noticed how fast your little one is growing up – and how quickly she wants to do new things and try new skills. It’s important to help her develop in as many ways as possible and that includes providing her with toys and activities specifically designed to enhance specific areas of development in a fun and interactive way.
This stage of development is sometimes refered to as the ‘egocentric’ because your toddler still has a long way to go before they understand that they aren’t the centre of the universe. Your little one will be very happy to play alone or with you. From climbing in and out of cardboard boxes to fetch and chasing games playtime offers lots of inspiration for physical investigation and activity.
Playing with toys such as a walker, wooden animal on a pole, play tent or play pit, or a big soft ball will help develop key co-ordination skills. Getting active helps your toddler to learn about themselves and the world. Physical play every day – indoors and outside – is a great foundation for building strength and co-ordination.
safe play: out and about
Toddlers are full of curiosity and love to explore their environment – walking, climbing and pushing. Encourage her with the following types of games and activites:
Push-pull toys and toys they can ride on
Building blocks and stacking rings
Small tricycles and wagons
Simple puzzles and shape sorters
Picture and colouring books
Crayons, markers, and Soft Stuff dough
Musical toys
Your toddler will love exploring the world around her and the park will rank high in her list of favourite places. As the nights draw in, make sure she’s safe and seen when you’re out and about. Reins, harnesses and wrist-links are easy ways to let her explore safely with you. Keep her visible with reflective-strips on coats.
Whatever the season, walks in the park are great ways to keep you toddler active and promote physical development. It’s a good idea to take your stroller though – she may run out of energy and need a ride home. It’s good to get little ones in the habit of outdoor exercise and a sure-fire way of burning off all their energy. All year round, make sure you give your toddler the chance to learn and build on her strength and mobility.
target activities to help development
hand-to-eye co-ordination and physical skills
Children’s hands are naturally busy, but toys and games can help them to work on hand-eye co-ordination. As her co-ordination and wrist control develops, she can tackle increasingly complex tasks. Core muscle tone and strength are developed as she learns to reach, grasp, crawl, run, climb and balance.
sensory and language skills
Music is a wonderful way to enrich your toddler’s sensory experiences and help her develop language and rhythm. Hearing musical sounds and dancing are rewarding and energetic activities. Listening to music, singing along to nursery rhymes, dancing, clapping and marching all great ways to play.
social skills
Social skills grow as children play. These include daily interaction skills such as sharing, taking turns and allowing others to play without interrupting. Playing with the same toy with others, for example, allows her to acquire social skills such as sharing, understanding and co-operation.
confidence skills
Your child is using her new-found co-ordination skills and agility to follow her curiosities about the world. Offering her lots of opportunities to explore, test and try out – together with sympathetic encouragement as they play – is a great way to build her confidence in following her ideas.
problem-solving skills
Through play, children learn to solve problems and understand the concept of cause and effect. Play will helps her to learn about colours, numbers, size and shapes and enhances her memory skills as well as her attention span.
imagination skills
As your toddler grows through her second year, she’ll discover the joys of pretend play. By inspiring and joining in with such play, you can help her learn how the real world works – and show her how much fun using her imagination can be. Small character toys such as people, animals, trains and cars are good for honing fine motor skills and will help your child develop their growing imagination.
 
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