Play & learning

Toddlers seem to have so much energy and are constantly on the move. They also have a lot of fun. They develop new skills and learn about the world around them through play.

Play teaches them to think and discover how things work (eg through touching, feeling, and moving things). Children learn by doing things themselves and by being praised for their efforts. They will often play with things for only a short time and then move on to new things.

Some activities your toddler may enjoy are:

• talking with you as this helps them to learn about ideas, feelings and things around them
• stacking toys and blocks to help them learn balance and building skills
• painting and drawing
• exploring and trying things for themselves
• going out for walks and drives
• dressing up - encourages imagination and interaction
• dancing and playing with musical instruments.

Your toddler might like playing with:

• you, other children and the family as this helps their social skills
• toys they can push and pull or that can be put inside one another eg blocks and coloured pegs inside an ice-cream container
• pots and pans with wooden or plastic spoons
• play dough
• large cardboard boxes
• balls and other outdoor equipment like buckets and spades.

Toddlers enjoy playing with water at the bench and sink with you while you prepare meals. It may help to have some things handy to play with (eg plastic cups, spoons). To keep your toddler safe, keep them away from the stove and hot taps.

They also like copying you and helping you around the house and outside (eg sweeping, washing dishes at the sink with you). Children learn by doing what they see others doing. It also gives them a feeling of importance and belonging.

Toddlers love looking at books and reading with you. This encourages them to turn pages, name and point to pictures, and repeat words. You may like to join the public library. They lend a wide range of books for children.

Active movement

Children are born to move and in the early years have a great desire to move and learn about themselves and their surroundings.

Movement develops and strengthens their body and brain while allowing them to have fun, be energetic, and develop their imagination and sense of wonder.

Some ways to encourage your child to develop through movement are:

• swinging, spinning and rocking gently to help develop their sense of balance and their eyes
• rolling on the floor with them or rolling down a small hill
• walking barefoot over different surfaces (eg grass, dirt, mud)
• walking along low walls, holding their hand or supporting them
• splashing and jumping in puddles
• feeding birds and ducks
• climbing in safe places
• dancing with them.

Try these activities using fun, safe objects:

• playing with a balloon — kicking and throwing it
• building towers with boxes or blocks, then knocking them down
• spinning slowly on merry-go-rounds or swinging on swings
• going for walks and stopping to pick up objects like twigs or leaves to help the development of movement and balance
• chasing bubbles and using bubbles when in the bath
• learning to throw and kick balls.