Parenting development of musical abilities of preschool children, news and tips on raising happy, healthy, successful kids and teens. Areas of greatest growth are sensorimotor, visual cortex and later the frontal lobes.
Play reflects the development of brain areas. Sight, sound, touch, taste, smell: These are the ways babies learn about the world. This is why the best infant toys are usually brightly colored noisemakers. As babies team to sit up, crawl, stand and then walk, the possibilities quickly expand They’re ready to experiment with nesting cups, activity boxes, stacking rings, large blocks, and a little later with shape-sorters.
These toys help develop fine motor skills and reach relationships among objects. Cloth or board books, especially intriguing with pictures of faces or familiar objects, let then, practice object-recognition and instill basic ideas of language. A word of caution: Be sure any toy for a child in this age group has no small pieces that can be removed or broken off and swallowed, no sharp edges or points, and is made of materials. The toddler brain is twice as active as the adult brain. The structures of the brain that are sensitive to language and social-emotional response develop.
Motor development continues at a rapid pace. Action is the name of the game for toddlers, who delight in running, jumping, climbing and riding. A ride-on toy to zip around on will be a sure-fire hit- whether it’s a low tricycle or a foot-to-floor vehicle in a whimsical bus or car design. Low climbing toys, large balls, and outdoor items like a sandbox or wading pool are also good choices for developing gross motor skills. Take-apart toys, pop-up toys mid simple puzzles gratify toddlers’ curiosity about how things work, reinforcing their eye-hand coordination and understanding of spatial orientation and cause and effect. One of the best possible toys is that time-tested classic, a good block set: it’s just about the most open-ended, mind-expanding toy made for kids of almost all ages and one that will be used for years.
Another creative, tactile-pleasing choice is modeling clay. Again, be sure toys are made of nontoxic materials, with no sharp edges or points or small parts that can be removed or broken off and swallowed. This is the fastest growth period for the frontal lobe networks, and speed of processing, memory, and problem solving is increasing. Imagination and interaction play starting roles during the preschool years, and the best toys help set the stage for developing these skills.