0+ Infant Years
It is never too early to begin playing with your new baby. In fact, to a newborn fascinated with the sight of your face and your warm touch, you are your baby’s first toy.
From day one, your baby learns through his senses -- eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. And when you play in ways that stimulate those senses, you are helping your newborn flourish emotionally, socially, and intellectually.
Parenting your newborn infant
Look for everyday ways to playfully stimulate your baby’s developing senses. As you ride in the car, pop in a musical CD for baby to listen to. In the supermarket, offer baby textured, scented toys to touch, feel and smell. For the bath time fun, run tub toys over baby’s soapy belly and legs. And at day’s end, snuggle and rock your sleepyhead along with a soft “lovely” bedtime pal.
Through rich, playful, sensory experiences like these, your newborn will begin life feeling secure and loved.
3m+ Infant Years
Between the ages of three and six months, your baby will grow more playful as she begins to actively explore her immediate world.
At this stage, you’ll notice your baby “unfurl” like a budding flower. Little fingers, once curled shut, now extend to grasp and explore toes, toys and your fingers. Little eyes, once unable to focus more than inches away, are now able to enjoy colours and shapes and objects near and far. A social smile has emerged and you’ll notice baby cooling and babbling. At the same time, baby’s mouth has become a primary source of sensory exploration.
Parenting your 3 month + baby
At this stage, you’ll want to provide baby with toys that stimulate sensory awareness. Offer baby a textured, scented ball that appeals to touch and smell, plus different rattles and teethers that encourage visual, auditory and oral development. And don’t forget to provide plenty of “Tummy Time” activities with toys that encourage baby to roll over and support their weight with their arms. Safety mirrors are also perfect choice because your baby is now fascinated with his own image and you can use mirror play to help baby label the parts of the face and encourage self-recognition.
6m + Infant Years
Now’s the time when baby will begin sitting up and reaching for objects to grab, squeeze, push, and pull at will. This is baby’s way of declaring, “Hey! I can act on and manipulate the world around me!” This behaviour also demonstrates baby’s growing fascination with and interest and curiosity in his environment -- traits which are essential for ongoing learning.
In addition to the balls, which encourage dexterity and coordination, now is the time to surround baby with a variety of push-pull toys, beginning chunky puzzles, shape-sorting boxes that encourage hand-eye coordination and matching skills, and easy stacking toys that offer success. You’ll also want to include teethers that encourage chewing and soothe gums as teeth begin to erupt.
Parenting your 6 month+ baby
Get down on the floor with baby and place a favorite toy just out of reach to encourage your baby to reach and grab for the toy. Also, use floor time to take turns assembling puzzles, sorting objects such as measuring cups and stacking toys. In this way, you’ll notice baby to touch, smell, look, and learn about objects and how they fit together.
9m + Infant Years
Now is when your precocious little one turns a bit scientific with “Trial and Error” games. He delights in peek-a-boo toys with parts that disappear and reappear offering an opportunity to experiment in object permanence. And he never tires of exloring the delights of gravity by dropping objects for Mommy or Daddy to fetch.
Parenting your 9 month + baby
At this time, baby language development is expanding to include simple speech sounds, and his ability to help turn the pages of a book each time you read together. Spend time helping baby complete simple chunky puzzles, and use stacking and sorting toys to strengthen baby’s hand-eye coordination.
This is also the time when baby begins to pull himself to standing. Provide your child with busy boxes and simple cause and effect toys that entertain and educate while stimulating fine and gross motor skills.
12m + Toddler Years
Now is the exciting time when cooing, babbling, and gesturing begin to give way to the formation of speech. When baby attempts to pronounce the name of an object, her brain is connecting that sound with the object. She’s also showing she understands that a sound or a word is a symbol for an object.
At this age, in addition to loving toys to stack and sort, encourage toys that develop thinking skills and fine motor coordination. You’ll also want to provide toys that engage your baby’s new ability to scoop, dump, and pour water and sand.
Parenting your 12 month + baby
Your baby understands may more words and phrases than she is able to articulate. And the best way to promote your baby’s speech is by spending time each day reading, singing and talking together. Make a habit of commenting aloud as you play together. By saying things like, “Let’s scoop some sand into this yellow cup.” or “You want me to put my block on top of yours?” Your baby will learn words for attributes, objects, actions, and positions, as well as routine directions.
1-3 Toddler Years
At this age, your child is becoming more independent and curious. You’ll also notice comical “mini-me” behaviour as your child begins to imitate your words and actions.
Such fun-filled pretend play has a special purpose: It’s critical for building your child’s symbolic thinking. As your child imitates you, he or she is trying your behaviours on size while also attempting to establish a self separate from you.
Parenting your 1-3 year old child
Your child loves building things, taking things apart, and putting them back together, so be sure to engage your child with lots of construction toys and puzzles in addition to simple picture books, musical toys, and recordings. Also important are toys for outdoor play that promote gross motor skills. And don’t forget to offer “grown-up” looking toys your child can use as you and your little helper work together to complete tasks in and around the home: a realistic-looking play phone, tools just like in the workroom, and child-size kitchen utensils for pretend cooking and experimentation. At the end of your long day, turn on some music and dance your cares away!
3-5 Preschool Years
At this stage, your child goes from knowing to understanding more and more of his ever-widening world.
This is the enchanting time of dramatic and creative play where your child acts out mini-dramas that consist of a past, present, and future --- and that involve social interaction with other children. At this stage, language explodes as your child relies more and more on words to explain ideas and exchange thoughts with others. Children can now follow simple instructions which encourages independence and responsibility.
Parenting your 3-5 years old child
In addition to supplying your child with toys that support dramatic play, you’ll want to teach your child to play with toys that develop sorting, classifying, comparing, contrasting, counting, and matching skills. these toys are playful way to prepare your child for learning letter and numbers. Arts and crafts activities also encourage pre-reading and pre-math skills. You’ll also want to offer toys that encourage fine and gross motor movements, as well as cooperative play to help your child embrace the larger world.
5-8 School Years
As your child grows into the school years, the nature of play changes and matures. your child will still engage in lots of dramatic and creative play, but it will be more complex and elaborate than before. you’ll want to offer your child a play space to encourage more elaborate imaginary story crafting.
As your child’s world widens to include school and the neighbourhood, her dramatic play will broaden to include play involving recreation and relaxation, similar to your adult play. That’s why you’ll want your toy choices to include sports equipment and family games that involve physical skills and that encourages social interaction.
Parenting your 5-8 years old child
Eventually your child’s dramatic play gives way to a desire for thinking toys and activities such as puzzles, math games, logic games, board games, card games, books, and music that help children imagine and visualize (paint mental pictures). As your child begins to master simple academic skills -- reading, writing computation, telling time, and measurement skills -- she’ll apply these skills and concepts to the games you play together -- giving you the idea opportunity to applaud her growing knowledge base. Try interacting with your child through craft, game and construction activities that have a clear beginning, middle and ending. That way, your child can learn planning and execution skills that build self-confidence for a lifetime of playful learning.
It is never too early to begin playing with your new baby. In fact, to a newborn fascinated with the sight of your face and your warm touch, you are your baby’s first toy.
From day one, your baby learns through his senses -- eyes, ears, nose, mouth and skin. And when you play in ways that stimulate those senses, you are helping your newborn flourish emotionally, socially, and intellectually.
Parenting your newborn infant
Look for everyday ways to playfully stimulate your baby’s developing senses. As you ride in the car, pop in a musical CD for baby to listen to. In the supermarket, offer baby textured, scented toys to touch, feel and smell. For the bath time fun, run tub toys over baby’s soapy belly and legs. And at day’s end, snuggle and rock your sleepyhead along with a soft “lovely” bedtime pal.
Through rich, playful, sensory experiences like these, your newborn will begin life feeling secure and loved.
3m+ Infant Years
Between the ages of three and six months, your baby will grow more playful as she begins to actively explore her immediate world.
At this stage, you’ll notice your baby “unfurl” like a budding flower. Little fingers, once curled shut, now extend to grasp and explore toes, toys and your fingers. Little eyes, once unable to focus more than inches away, are now able to enjoy colours and shapes and objects near and far. A social smile has emerged and you’ll notice baby cooling and babbling. At the same time, baby’s mouth has become a primary source of sensory exploration.
Parenting your 3 month + baby
At this stage, you’ll want to provide baby with toys that stimulate sensory awareness. Offer baby a textured, scented ball that appeals to touch and smell, plus different rattles and teethers that encourage visual, auditory and oral development. And don’t forget to provide plenty of “Tummy Time” activities with toys that encourage baby to roll over and support their weight with their arms. Safety mirrors are also perfect choice because your baby is now fascinated with his own image and you can use mirror play to help baby label the parts of the face and encourage self-recognition.
6m + Infant Years
Now’s the time when baby will begin sitting up and reaching for objects to grab, squeeze, push, and pull at will. This is baby’s way of declaring, “Hey! I can act on and manipulate the world around me!” This behaviour also demonstrates baby’s growing fascination with and interest and curiosity in his environment -- traits which are essential for ongoing learning.
In addition to the balls, which encourage dexterity and coordination, now is the time to surround baby with a variety of push-pull toys, beginning chunky puzzles, shape-sorting boxes that encourage hand-eye coordination and matching skills, and easy stacking toys that offer success. You’ll also want to include teethers that encourage chewing and soothe gums as teeth begin to erupt.
Parenting your 6 month+ baby
Get down on the floor with baby and place a favorite toy just out of reach to encourage your baby to reach and grab for the toy. Also, use floor time to take turns assembling puzzles, sorting objects such as measuring cups and stacking toys. In this way, you’ll notice baby to touch, smell, look, and learn about objects and how they fit together.
9m + Infant Years
Now is when your precocious little one turns a bit scientific with “Trial and Error” games. He delights in peek-a-boo toys with parts that disappear and reappear offering an opportunity to experiment in object permanence. And he never tires of exloring the delights of gravity by dropping objects for Mommy or Daddy to fetch.
Parenting your 9 month + baby
At this time, baby language development is expanding to include simple speech sounds, and his ability to help turn the pages of a book each time you read together. Spend time helping baby complete simple chunky puzzles, and use stacking and sorting toys to strengthen baby’s hand-eye coordination.
This is also the time when baby begins to pull himself to standing. Provide your child with busy boxes and simple cause and effect toys that entertain and educate while stimulating fine and gross motor skills.
12m + Toddler Years
Now is the exciting time when cooing, babbling, and gesturing begin to give way to the formation of speech. When baby attempts to pronounce the name of an object, her brain is connecting that sound with the object. She’s also showing she understands that a sound or a word is a symbol for an object.
At this age, in addition to loving toys to stack and sort, encourage toys that develop thinking skills and fine motor coordination. You’ll also want to provide toys that engage your baby’s new ability to scoop, dump, and pour water and sand.
Parenting your 12 month + baby
Your baby understands may more words and phrases than she is able to articulate. And the best way to promote your baby’s speech is by spending time each day reading, singing and talking together. Make a habit of commenting aloud as you play together. By saying things like, “Let’s scoop some sand into this yellow cup.” or “You want me to put my block on top of yours?” Your baby will learn words for attributes, objects, actions, and positions, as well as routine directions.
1-3 Toddler Years
At this age, your child is becoming more independent and curious. You’ll also notice comical “mini-me” behaviour as your child begins to imitate your words and actions.
Such fun-filled pretend play has a special purpose: It’s critical for building your child’s symbolic thinking. As your child imitates you, he or she is trying your behaviours on size while also attempting to establish a self separate from you.
Parenting your 1-3 year old child
Your child loves building things, taking things apart, and putting them back together, so be sure to engage your child with lots of construction toys and puzzles in addition to simple picture books, musical toys, and recordings. Also important are toys for outdoor play that promote gross motor skills. And don’t forget to offer “grown-up” looking toys your child can use as you and your little helper work together to complete tasks in and around the home: a realistic-looking play phone, tools just like in the workroom, and child-size kitchen utensils for pretend cooking and experimentation. At the end of your long day, turn on some music and dance your cares away!
3-5 Preschool Years
At this stage, your child goes from knowing to understanding more and more of his ever-widening world.
This is the enchanting time of dramatic and creative play where your child acts out mini-dramas that consist of a past, present, and future --- and that involve social interaction with other children. At this stage, language explodes as your child relies more and more on words to explain ideas and exchange thoughts with others. Children can now follow simple instructions which encourages independence and responsibility.
Parenting your 3-5 years old child
In addition to supplying your child with toys that support dramatic play, you’ll want to teach your child to play with toys that develop sorting, classifying, comparing, contrasting, counting, and matching skills. these toys are playful way to prepare your child for learning letter and numbers. Arts and crafts activities also encourage pre-reading and pre-math skills. You’ll also want to offer toys that encourage fine and gross motor movements, as well as cooperative play to help your child embrace the larger world.
5-8 School Years
As your child grows into the school years, the nature of play changes and matures. your child will still engage in lots of dramatic and creative play, but it will be more complex and elaborate than before. you’ll want to offer your child a play space to encourage more elaborate imaginary story crafting.
As your child’s world widens to include school and the neighbourhood, her dramatic play will broaden to include play involving recreation and relaxation, similar to your adult play. That’s why you’ll want your toy choices to include sports equipment and family games that involve physical skills and that encourages social interaction.
Parenting your 5-8 years old child
Eventually your child’s dramatic play gives way to a desire for thinking toys and activities such as puzzles, math games, logic games, board games, card games, books, and music that help children imagine and visualize (paint mental pictures). As your child begins to master simple academic skills -- reading, writing computation, telling time, and measurement skills -- she’ll apply these skills and concepts to the games you play together -- giving you the idea opportunity to applaud her growing knowledge base. Try interacting with your child through craft, game and construction activities that have a clear beginning, middle and ending. That way, your child can learn planning and execution skills that build self-confidence for a lifetime of playful learning.