TODDLERS
What
an exciting age of development! Toddlers are a delight as they
begin testing boundaries and flexing muscles, especially those
cognitive and creative. Everything is a wonderful new experience
for toddlers, and all you need to do is keep them supplied with
assorted tools for creative growth, and they amaze you. Suggested
toddler tools include tables with unlimited paper and crayons,
paint, chalk and chalkboards, blocks, clay, construction toys
and lots of opportunities for creative make-believe.
TOYS
FOR TODDLERS
Toddlers are active and enjoy
climbing, running, and jumping. They need toys to meet these needs.
They also are interested in doing things with their hands as the
small muscles in their fingers become more developed. However,
toys for this age group should be simple and require little coordination.
During this period, toddlers become interested in playing with
others and in imitating grown-up activities. Toys like dress-up
clothes are great for this!
As a caregiver, be careful about
imposing sex stereotypes on toddlers' toy choices. Boys will sometimes
show interest in dolls or want to be "the mommy." Girls
may want trucks or to be "Superman." That is okay. This
exploration is normal and necessary for them to learn about the
world.
Toddlers also are interested
in sensory materials such as paint, play dough, crayons, and chalk.
They usually are not interested in drawing or painting a specific
object. They like to scribble and mix colors. When talking to
young children about their creations, it is better to say "Tell
me about your picture," rather than "What is it?"
Toddler's still put toys in their
mouths, so you will need to watch for objects with small parts.
Also, watch out for items, such as paint and chalk, as toddlers
think it is great fun to eat these! Toys should be sturdy and
should not have sharp edges or points. Toddlers enjoy balloons,
but caregivers should be careful to keep uninflated or broken
balloons out of reach. A child could suffocate if these are swallowed.
Appropriate Toddler Toys
push-pull toys
pedal toys
truck/cars big enough to ride
wagons
balls and bean bags
balloons (with close supervision)
swings
climbing structures
books with simple stories
blocks
peg boards
puzzles creative materials (crayons, playdough, paint)
water play toys
simple dress-up clothes
dolls and stuffed animals
boxes
How you can help
1. Play pretend games with children.
For example, create a traffic jam with the toy cars they use.
Make believe you are animals like kittens, dogs, or horses.
2. Play tag, bounce, or catch
with balls or bean bags.
3. Play follow-the-leader or
design a toddler-size obstacle course.
4. Let children imitate your
activities such as sweeping the floor.
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PLAY FOR TODDLERS
From 18 months until 4, children are
very active. The toddler gets pleasure out of larger toys such
as a tricycle, wagon, or stick horse. Use of these toys helps
develop large muscle coordination and provides experiences in
testing skills. Sand and water play are fun ways to explore and
experiment with size, shape, and weight. Toddlers will be curious
about symbols, numbers, and letters. They enjoy hearing someone
read their favorite story over and over. Older toddlers benefit
from play time with other children. Three-year-olds become more
social and want to be with people. Play with other children is
essential at this age. Through contact with other children, toddlers
learn manners, how to cooperate, the importance of friendship,
sharing, and waiting their turn. During this age, children also
begin to try out their power. They may threaten, kick and fight,
or push a child away from their group. They even begin to explore
their sex differences.
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MUSICAL
FUN
FOR TODDLERS
Children from 18 months through
3 years like short songs. Their memories are not fully developed,
so they can remember only a few words at a time. Motion also is
interesting to them, and actions put to words help them remember
their order. Repeating songs encourages the use of words and memorization.
When caring for toddlers, listen
when they begin to sing spontaneously. Repeat the songs or nursery
rhymes over and over. Encourage the child to reproduce their rhythms
by clapping or tapping a metal pie pan with a wooden spoon. Most
3-year-olds will be able to listen and repeat.
As toddlers sing, or music plays
on the radio or stereo, call out movements for them to make that
involve various 
parts
of their bodies. Ask them to jump and hop, smile and frown, or
punch the air with their fists. Then, ask them to sit on the floor
or stand on one foot each time you turn the music off. This is
a fun game for toddlers and can be played with all kinds of music.
Toddlers' attention spans aren't
as long as yours so when they are ready to play another game,
turn your attention to something new as well.
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STORIES AND POEMS
FOR TODDLERS
Children this age like stories.
Their attention spans are still quite short, so you will want
to choose stories that are fairly simple. Because children this
age do not have good memories, they like to have the same rhyme
or poem repeated over and over. Stories that have the same word
or phrase repeated throughout also delight this age group. Soon
you will be able to see their faces light up with joy and anticipation.
Repetition will help develop their memory and language skills.
Toddlers are learning about feelings.
They are learning when it is all right to show how they feel.
For example, they are learning that it is natural to feel angry
sometimes, but that it is not all right to hit or punch others
because they are mad. Since toddlers are becoming aware of feelings,
they like to hear stories about them. They also are forming self-concepts
and like to hear stories about toddlers who feel just like they
do. Books that teach about body parts, or people who are like
those they know (like mothers, fathers, store-keepers, and pets)
will help them learn about themselves and their worlds.
Because their small muscles,
like those in their hands, are now more developed, toddlers can
turn the thin pages of regular picture books. They should be allowed
to do this because it makes them feel in control. At this age,
they are able to see more things in the pictures. This is the
time to let children look at the pictures for a longer time and
talk to you about what they see.Children this age "read"
the pictures. The best books for this age are well designed and
have clear, uncluttered pages with lots of color to spur their
imaginations.
The older children in this age
group are beginning to know the difference between real and pretend,
and think stories about dressed up and talking animals are great.
After such a story you may want to ask, "Was that real or
pretend?" You need not make a big deal about the difference
between the two.
Toddlers always are active and
are coordinated enough to enjoy pop-up books and other books they
can take part in. They are still learning about ideas like up/down
and in/out, so those books are appropriate now. Two-year-olds
are ready to hear books about colors and shapes, and 3-year-olds
are ready to hear about numbers and letters.
Books for Toddlers
Thinking and information books
as well as short stories are good for this age group. Picture
books, with one thing on a page (such as a picture of shoes or
a key ring) are good. Children can recognize these pictures, name
them, and begin to learn about words. Counting, alphabet, and
touch-and-see books also are favorites.
Toddlers also enjoy books about
true things told in story form, or pretend stories like those
about talking animals. Mother Goose and Richard Scarry books are
favorites now.
How you can help
Choose books that are short enough
to be read in one sitting, and that have happy endings. Since
toddlers are unable to understand other people's point of view,
you may want to substitute their names for the names of the main
characters in the stories or poems. This will make them feel important
and good about themselves. Another way to make them feel special
is to hold them close during story time.
Toddlerhood is a time for exploring.
You can help them do this by choosing books about the experiences
that children (or even animals) have in the real world while they
are away from parents and caregivers. Toddlers want independence,
although, at this stage, they are not always able to handle much
freedom. The stories you choose about exploring should be ones
that will help them adjust to new and sometimes frightening experiences
in their world.
Two- and 3-year-olds are talkative
and have good imaginations. They will have many things to tell
you during story time! As a caregiver, you can help by being a
good listener.
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Reprinted with permission from
the National Network for Child Care -
NNCC. Lagoni, L. S., Martin, D. H., Maslin-Cole, C., Cook, A.,
MacIsaac, K., Parrill, G., Bigner, J., Coker, E., & Sheie,
S. (1989).
Good times with music and rhythm. In *Good times with child
care* (pp.
206-221). Fort Collins, CO: Colorado State University Cooperative
Extension.
MORE ON CHILD CREATIVITY
Make
your child
more creative for life.
Every child has creative
ability just waiting to be tapped. Even infants have budding creative
potential. The right educational toys can bring it out. and let
children enjoy the benefits of creative pursuits at many levels.
Infants,
toddlers,
preschoolers,
early
school age and older
school age children all delight in opportunities for creative
expression through colors, shapes and sounds.
At The Creativity Institute, we handpick each infant educational
toy, every creative plaything, each piece of furniture and every
toy musical instrument based on its potential for developing vital
creative resources in your child.
Toy
pianos, oversized
foam building blocks, puppet
theaters and puppet stages and people
and animal hand puppets, art
supplies and children's
easels, play
tents and more. The scale and durability of many of these
toys make them perfect for classrooms, homeschool,
day care centers and waiting rooms, too. The benefits of nurturing
creativity can be profound, offering children tools for success
in all endeavors athletic, artistic or academic. Let your baby
begin now.