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Great Gifts for that
Special Toddler
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Toddler Toys
Toddler Development
Choosing a unique gift for a special toddler is definitely a lot of fun. The
collection of age appropriate toddler toys to choose from is enormous as
a result of all the competition between toy manufacturers to design toys
that are not only safe and attractive but also educational. Making a
choice of what to buy could be overwhelming. What follows is a short
overview of some of the activities toddlers enjoy at this stage
(between 1 and 3 years), the developmental
skills associated with the activities and toddler gifts
supporting the activities and promoting the skills discussed.
Depending on the toddler's age, developmental stage and interest we are
sure that you will find something that fits the gift giving bill
perfectly!
Gifts for toddlers on the move!
Develop balance and large motor skills
Toddlers are very curious and active, always on the move. Toddlers put a lot of effort into
learning to walk, run, jump, climb and investigating anything
they can lay their little hands on.
Providing toddlers with educational toys that stimulates their
need for physical development (gross motor skill development)
cognitive stimulation (mental or brain development) and
amusement not only guarantees an interest and high play value, but it
will also motivate and encourage developing minds.
I have yet to come across a toddler that doesn't
enjoy the freedom and independence of pushing a stroller, cart, toy or even a box around.
If the push-pull toy makes noise or do "tricks" while moving (teaching
cause-and-effect in the process) it is an added bonus and will make
the toy even more enjoyable.
Push and pull toys
encourage toddlers to get moving and may also spark the interest of the
more mechanically inclined to investigate the different parts of the toy
more closely, enhancing cognitive development in the process. If
the push-pull toy is a stroller, wagon or cart it boasts some added
play value since the toddler can now satisfy his/her need for putting
blocks, toys or other objects into a container (into the
cart/wagon/stroller), push or pull it to some other place and dumping the
contents again.
Around 18 months to 2 years your toddler will start enjoying imaginary play
and role-play. Providing them with push-pull toys that
encourage this budding interest will help them with the visualization of the scenarios
they dream up and assist in cognitive development.
Toddler push and pull toys are a definite toy box essential
and is guaranteed to amuse and encourage physical development of the
large muscle groups.
When choosing a push-pull toy, make sure it is of good
quality and sturdy construction. It will probably have to
withstand a lot of rough handling and will be in use for much longer
than the typical infant toys your child played with up until now. The handles of the toys should
have safety balls and if the handles can adjust (wagons, strollers and carts)
it is an added bonus. Remember that children should be supervised if
they play with toys that have long strings attached.
Toddler ride-on toys are very
popular toys and great toys for developing
balance, gross motor skills and to teach steering, coordination and foster
independence. There are several ride-on toys on the market to
choose from and beginner balancing bikes are very popular.
These bikes are made from wood or aluminum and have no pedals and no training wheels.
Children just kick
off the ground as if running.
Enter the wonderful world of
building, constructing, stacking and nesting
Young toddlers (around 12 months of age) may enjoy knocking over blocks more than stacking them, but this will change very soon.
One day they just sit down and instead of repeatedly knocking down everything you build, they start
stacking blocks themselves.
Soon after that you will have to
help build ".rige" (toddler's version of the word bridge) for them to push their cars through and towns
for their trains to drive through.
As toddlers gain more control over their fine motor
movements they will be more interested in toys
they can build and construct with. Funny toys that can be stacked different ways,
construction toys that can be assembled and disassembled, usually sporting other construction activities as well, blocks to build bridges and towns with, and cubes or cups
that can be stacked, nested, sorted and that double as houses or other
objects during imaginative play are toys well worth the money.
 When buying blocks for your toddler make sure that they are of good
quality with no sharp edges. Wooden building blocks are very popular with
toddlers and children and blocks by
European toy makers HABA,
Heros and building blocks by Boikido and Plan Toys have proven to be a very good investment. Some of these blocks (especially those by HABA and Boikido) are very colorful and has been designed to stimulate imaginative play as well.
PlayBrix cardboard building blocks are also fun to play with, especially
when building bigger structures for imaginative play.
Be sure to buy your
toddler
building blocks of different shapes and sizes. Apart from the obvious benefits
of being able to introduce the subjects of color and
shapes while playing - these blocks will provide them with lots
of different options during imaginative play, teaching them
about the dynamics of different shapes and assist in their spatial
development. You could also introduce different shaped blocks earlier (before they actually start building with the blocks) in order for your
little one to start exploring the different shapes, sizes and colors.
 Stacking and nesting cups or cubes
develop motor skills and hand-eye coordination and are great educational
toys for teaching concepts like colors, number recognition, sizes,
sorting etc. A lot of what these cups or cubes can teach depends on the
features of the specific toy. Boikido manufactures big, colorful,
beautiful wooden Pyramid
Cubes that are perfect for teaching toddlers colors, numbers
(and counting), animals and words.
Tolo, on the other hand, has very popular
multipurpose stacking toy cups called Rainbow Stackers. The Tolo Rainbow
Stackers are popular bath or sandbox toys that feature seven brightly colored hats that
children can stack, nest and sort. The solid colors of the cups provide for some great color recognition
activities and the different shaped bottoms and textured rims promotes
tactile (touch) development and is fun to teach shapes with.
Talking about teaching shapes and colors - please remember that until a
child is about 4 years old it is very difficult for them to grasp
multiple concepts taught at the same time. For
instance - try not to teach color and size at the same time - focus on
one of them and once your toddler grasp what you were teaching him (this
shape is round) then introduce a different concept - the ball is round
and red.
Dolls and
soft cuddle companions are very important for the emotional development of both girls and boys. Even though your little munchkin may have been avoiding the stuffed teddy up till now, you may be surprised
to see the sudden interest in the soft furry friend. Toddlers need to feel secure with their new found 'independence' especially when the primary caregiver
is not around. A soft cuddle companion that they can cuddle, hold and seek comfort in is a great
tool for providing emotional support.
From about 24 to 30 months of age your toddler will enter the amazing world
of pretend play. You'll watch as your toddler make connections between
an actual stove on which mommy cooks and an empty box turned upside down
serving the same purpose. Their ability to make these connections
accompanied by the newly acquired language skills, allow them to live
out their fantasy and communicating it to you or their friends setting
the stage for hours of play. Supplying your toddler with the tools
that allow for pretend play doesn't need to be expensive. Although
a miniature stove imported from Europe complete with miniature pots and
pans will be much sought after by any girl, making a stove from
cardboard box, paint and a few other creative objects not only serve the
same purpose, but it will also get some creative juices flowing, assist
in cognitive development and provide for some additional 'together time'
with your little one.
Toddlers love to
solve problems. It is what they are programmed to do in order to
develop mentally. We can encourage and stimulate cognitive
development by providing them with cardboard puzzles (2 piece puzzles to
start with), games (memory games, counting, stacking and board games) or
3 dimensional puzzles or construction sets. These kind of toys
also assist in the
development of logical thinking, problem solving, brain development,
memory development and social skills. Some of
the puzzles and games available also need additional skills like the ability to differentiate between different letters
and their sounds, number and letter recognition and simple math.
Countless studies have proven the importance of
quality music for a child's development.
Since toddlers love to move -
lively music for dancing is a big favorite.
It is amazing to see how they get up and move on a song with lots of
rhythm. Dancing to music is a great activity for
having fun quality time together while children get to work on their
balance
and gross motor skills.
It is also a great way to help the social development of the
child and to build confidence.
Watch as the youngsters try to imitate your steps. Yes, you better be dancing with them! Show them how to stomp their feet like
an elephant, or flutter through the air like a bird, you will be amazed at the reaction you get! They may even get adventurous and try jumping
or skipping.
 Remember that we should challenge them. Even if you
know they can't jump yet - show them how and give them lot's of
encouragement. Don't expect them to get it right the moment you
show it to them, the point is to introduce them to new movements and
ideas and to give them something that is challenging but also achievable.
Want to raise the fun
factor even higher, introduce some musical instruments into the
mix. Drums, shakers and rattles or even pots and pans will fit the bill
perfectly. Musical instruments teach toddlers about rhythm and help them develop muscle control. Again - don't expect your toddler to bang the pot on the beat of the music at first, that will most
likely not be the case. Just relax and have fun, giving them ample opportunity to explore and try out new ideas.
Music that
toddlers can sing along to are also great tools for developing language and speech.
Spend a lot of time with face-to-face and eye-to-eye contact
with your child so that they can mimic you as you pronounce words with them or sing songs with them. Songs that are
funny, have different actions or that has sound imitations
in the lyrics (good ole MacDonald, Wheels of the bus etc.) are sure winners.
It is impossible to overestimate the importance of books in your baby, toddler and child's life. The benefits of books are countless and we are
listing just a few of them:
Introduce babies to the world we live in - books with different textures and
activities also aids in sensory and cognitive development and motor skills
Books introduce toddlers and infants to the concept of letters, words, speech and
language.
Books stimulates the imagination and help develop memory skills.
Books are a great way to communicate with your infant and toddler. You should start pointing at the different pictures from the first day you start
reading to your baby. As soon as your infant has reached the stage where they can point - encourage them to point to the different pictures in the book (where is the dog?).
You will be pleasantly surprised at how much your baby actually learned from you the past
few months.
It is important for toddlers to be independent. Encourage them to select the book they
want to read. Let them turn the pages, this is great for
fine motor development. When buying books - choose books that allows for participation.
Picture books with simple words about everyday life are perfect since you can ask your toddler
to point to familiar objects, encourage them to name the object and make the appropriate sound (i.e. where is the pig - can you say pig - what sound does a pig make). Remember the importance
of spending face-to-face time with your toddler when doing this since he or she will try and mimic your mouth for pronouncing words.
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