play and your toddler

This article talks about play and development from the age of 3 to 5. It suggests some appropriate play to help a child develop.

play in children from 3 – 4 years
The pre-schooler at 3 years is a social creature. Hence it is important that they are exposed to group activities.

At this stage, he is also able to run, climb just about over anything, walk up and down stairs one foot at a time without holding onto rails and ride a tricycle.

Hand skills improve tremendously at this stage. The child is able to stack 12 – 14 blocks, copy 3 – 4 block designs and fix 4 – 6 piece jigsaw puzzles. He also begins to try colouring within the boundary instead of scribbling random strokes. He is able to trace simple dot to dot designs such as that of a dog. Scissors skills can be introduced as they start to cut strips and gradually progress to lines and curves.

A good mix of gross motor and fine motor activities will suit the child. Playing in the park or playground with the neighbour’s children, kicking the ball, chasing each other will allow the child to test and develop his gross motor skills.

Sitting down at the table to trace, colour and try out the new jigsaw puzzle with an adult teaches him at an early stage to have good sitting down behaviour. His creativity, hand skills and problem solving abilities are also given an opportunity to develop.

play in children from 4 – 5 years
They start to take up roles in group play. They also start to understand and follow rules. Games like hopscotch, Snap, hide and seek, snakes and ladders, Let’s Pretend are some examples of what they enjoy.

Give your child lots of opportunities to mix with other children. Your little one is on his way to being a a very sophisticated social creature. He is already able to read body language, read emotional cues, make decisions on how to act based on the situation he is in and the cues he is picking up.

The ages of 3 – 5 is and exciting and fun time. The primary role of the parent is to be present, give the child lots of opportunities and then let nature do the rest. If your child likes airplanes, then spend time with him folding it and decorating it. It is the process of doing things together and building the relationship that brings you and your child a long way.

Source: Huggies South africa