Sound familiar? You're watching your child play. They're entertaining themselves little by little, going from one thing to the next. They're always looking for a moment of attention, then searching for something else. There could be several reasons for this, of course: they're not feeling well, they've had a busy day, or they're simply having an off day. Too much can also be a cause, or they might not be (or no longer be) offering the right toys. I've blogged about the first aspect, too many toys, in my previous post , "Tip: Fewer toys make them play more." I'll elaborate on that in more detail soon. I'd like to share tips on the other aspect, not having the right toys, or not having the right ones, in future blog posts.
I want to give you some pointers on which types of toys are appropriate for the different play phases and development of a young child. This starts with the baby in the playpen... parents are quick to think that a baby needs to be entertained in the playpen. So, add all sorts of toys or a baby gym, preferably one with all sorts of sounds and bouncing animals. It's really not necessary; a baby entertains themselves perfectly well. They move, listen, observe... there's plenty to do. My second article will focus on the toddler who loves to explore the world. Then on the young toddler who loves to help and imitate you, the older toddler who uses their imagination a lot, and finally, the young preschooler who can handle a bit more and also enjoys motor skills.
Just as I do with the toy selection in the Skattich webshop , I'll try to consider the different types of children with different playtime preferences in my tips. For example, we have researchers and viewers who can enjoy the same toys, but often in different ways.
And then the final part: Playing can certainly be done indoors, but playing outdoors is also wonderful ! Especially now that autumn has begun, there's so much to discover and do in nature. I'll list a few activities for each age group. Take a look at my Pinterest board "Outdoor Play" for some great tips!
In the next blog post I'll give play tips for babies aged 0-6 months. See you then!
