You don't need expensive, mass produced toys to enjoy play time at home with your little ones, or to provide great stimulation for their senses. Here are some ideas for easy and inexpensive toys that your baby or young toddler will love.
Visually Stimulating Toys.
Lava Lamp Bottles.
You will need:
- a small clear plastic bottle with a screw top lid
- some water
-oil (normal cooking oil is fine)
- food colouring
- glitter (optional)
- tape
How to make it:
Fill the bottle about two thirds full with water.
Add a few drops of food colouring (you can make several and use different colours for each).
Pour oil into the bottle leaving a small amount of space at the top.
Add glitter if you would like to for extra effect.
Put the lid on the bottle making sure it is well sealed. Put tape round the top for added security. Electrical tape works well.
How to use it:
Slowly turn the bottle upside down, then the right way up again.
Continue to move the bottle in different directions, you could also roll it along the floor. Bubbles of oil, and glitter if you have used any, will move about the bottle creating different shapes and patterns for your baby to watch. Older babies and toddlers will be able to move and shake the bottle themselves - an introduction to cause and effect.
Ribbon Sticks
You will need:
A short length of dowling or similar stick
Some lengths of narrow ribbon in different colours
Tape (optional)
How to make it:
Secure one end of each length of ribbon to the stick, leaving a space between each one. They can be tied on or stuck on with tape, but should be secure enough that they cannot easily be removed by your child.
How to use it:
Hold the stick and let the ribbons hang down for your baby or toddler to look at and touch.
For younger babies you can move the stick slowly from one side of their face to the other, they will soon follow it with their eyes, and by moving their head to see it - a skill called tracking, which is important for visual development.
Talk about the different colours of ribbon as your child reaches for them, and eventually you can ask them to find a particular colour for you.
You will, no doubt, be able to come up with lots more ideas on how to use and play with these objects. Giving them to your child and letting them decide what to do next is a great way to boost their ability to think creatively - and you may be surprised what they come up with.
Enjoy playing with these toys and many more at Discovery Tots and Social Tots classes.
You can also SIGN UP to the Tots Play newsletter to receive regular updates and ideas of things to do with your little ones.
Have a great time playing with your little ones!
Sunday 6 December 2009
Thursday 19 November 2009
The Educational Value of the Hokey Cokey
You probably think of the Hokey Cokey as just a fun party song - you might have danced along to it when you were a child, and it is certainly a good way to get the party going!
However, it can also help children learn a number of valuable skills, and as we know the greatest amount of learning takes place when we are having fun!
With babies, sit them on your lap and guide their hands and feet forwards and backwards along to the song. Although they may not understand the concept of right and left yet, these movements help to develop their co-ordination and build pathways in the brain which are vital for the development of all kinds of skills including crawling and walking and even learning to write when they get older. It is particularly beneficial for brain development if you guide the right arm or leg over to the left side of their body and vice versa.
Older babies and toddlers will delight in showing you their increasing knowledge of where the different parts of their bodies are when you ask them to find your head, touch your nose etc. Games like this, utilising songs like the Hokey Cokey will help boost their confidence as well as body awareness and co-ordination.
So there are a few good reasons to get dancing - but don't forget the most important reason of all - having fun with your little one!
For lots more fun ways to boost your child's development come and join a Tots Play class - and get moving and learning together.
However, it can also help children learn a number of valuable skills, and as we know the greatest amount of learning takes place when we are having fun!
- Left and Right
With babies, sit them on your lap and guide their hands and feet forwards and backwards along to the song. Although they may not understand the concept of right and left yet, these movements help to develop their co-ordination and build pathways in the brain which are vital for the development of all kinds of skills including crawling and walking and even learning to write when they get older. It is particularly beneficial for brain development if you guide the right arm or leg over to the left side of their body and vice versa.
- Body Awareness
Older babies and toddlers will delight in showing you their increasing knowledge of where the different parts of their bodies are when you ask them to find your head, touch your nose etc. Games like this, utilising songs like the Hokey Cokey will help boost their confidence as well as body awareness and co-ordination.
- Social Interaction
- Locomotor Skills
So there are a few good reasons to get dancing - but don't forget the most important reason of all - having fun with your little one!
For lots more fun ways to boost your child's development come and join a Tots Play class - and get moving and learning together.
Friday 23 October 2009
Why I Love My Job!
Running a business certainly has its ups and downs, but seeing the children in my classes develop and progress is the reason I wouldn't want to do anything else!
Highlights this week have included the little boy who spent his first few weeks with us running round the room for the whole class, sit (for more than 5 seconds) and join in with the warm up and songs, a mum who told me that her parents had commented on the progress her baby daughter had made since attending the classes, and a little girl who asks her mum every day if it is Tots Play day today!
What do you love about what you do?
Highlights this week have included the little boy who spent his first few weeks with us running round the room for the whole class, sit (for more than 5 seconds) and join in with the warm up and songs, a mum who told me that her parents had commented on the progress her baby daughter had made since attending the classes, and a little girl who asks her mum every day if it is Tots Play day today!
What do you love about what you do?
Monday 5 October 2009
Stimulating Your Baby's Senses - Hearing
Below are some ideas for activities to promote your baby's hearing and listening skills. They can be adapted according to your baby's age and stage of development. Keep play sessions short, and have fun with your baby.
Shakers
Fill several small plastic bottles with a variety of items which will make different sounds when shaken.
Examples might be - dried pasta, rice, beads, cotton wool balls, cheerios, paperclips. (make sure the lids are on securely)
Show baby how to shake the bottles and talk about the different sounds they make - loud, quiet etc. Let baby play with the different bottles and choose which interest them the most.
To develop this game make a second set of each bottle and help baby to shake them and find the sounds that match.
Musical Statues
Help your baby to distinguish between sound and silence with a game of musical statues. Play some music and dance with baby in your arms. Stop the music, say "quiet" and stand still and silent, start the music again and say "music" then dance again with your baby. Continue this game for as long as you both enjoy it.
Listening Tubes
To help baby understand that they use their ears for hearing, hold a cardboard tube (kitchen or toilet roll) to baby's ear and whisper through it. You might want to say their name, or a loving message. Move the tube to their other ear and whisper through it again. This is starting to teach baby that they have two ears to hear through.
Keep Talking
The most important way to develop your baby's listening skills (as well as many others!) is to keep talking to them. Describe what you are doing as you go about your day, ask questions of your baby, talk about what you see them doing (eg I can see you are reaching for your ball), or what you think might interest them (eg look, there's a duck on the pond).
(lots more about talking in future posts)
Hints to help get the most out of your playtime.
Keep background noise to a minimum when doing any of these activities, as babies are unable to "tune out" such distractions and focus just on particular sounds initially. Keep the sessions short and develop your baby's focus and concentration for a particular activity over time.
IMPORTANT NOTE
These activities are designed for children whose hearing is identified as being within normal ranges. If you have any concerns at all about your baby's hearing, please seek advice from your health professional.
For more ideas, a range of sensory play activities are on offer every week at our Discovery Tots classes.
Shakers
Fill several small plastic bottles with a variety of items which will make different sounds when shaken.
Examples might be - dried pasta, rice, beads, cotton wool balls, cheerios, paperclips. (make sure the lids are on securely)
Show baby how to shake the bottles and talk about the different sounds they make - loud, quiet etc. Let baby play with the different bottles and choose which interest them the most.
To develop this game make a second set of each bottle and help baby to shake them and find the sounds that match.
Musical Statues
Help your baby to distinguish between sound and silence with a game of musical statues. Play some music and dance with baby in your arms. Stop the music, say "quiet" and stand still and silent, start the music again and say "music" then dance again with your baby. Continue this game for as long as you both enjoy it.
Listening Tubes
To help baby understand that they use their ears for hearing, hold a cardboard tube (kitchen or toilet roll) to baby's ear and whisper through it. You might want to say their name, or a loving message. Move the tube to their other ear and whisper through it again. This is starting to teach baby that they have two ears to hear through.
Keep Talking
The most important way to develop your baby's listening skills (as well as many others!) is to keep talking to them. Describe what you are doing as you go about your day, ask questions of your baby, talk about what you see them doing (eg I can see you are reaching for your ball), or what you think might interest them (eg look, there's a duck on the pond).
(lots more about talking in future posts)
Hints to help get the most out of your playtime.
Keep background noise to a minimum when doing any of these activities, as babies are unable to "tune out" such distractions and focus just on particular sounds initially. Keep the sessions short and develop your baby's focus and concentration for a particular activity over time.
IMPORTANT NOTE
These activities are designed for children whose hearing is identified as being within normal ranges. If you have any concerns at all about your baby's hearing, please seek advice from your health professional.
For more ideas, a range of sensory play activities are on offer every week at our Discovery Tots classes.
Tuesday 15 September 2009
Teaching numbers through physical play.
This week at our Action Tots class (http://www.totsplay.co.uk/) have been learning about numbers.
There are lots of fun and easy ways to introduce counting and numbers into activities with your toddler - here are a couple of ideas to try at home.
1,2,3,4,5 Obstacle Course.
Set up an obstacle/activity course for your toddler involving 1 thing, then 2, then 3 etc
For example climb over one cushion, run twice around the living room, put three toys in a box, roll over 4 times along the floor, do 5 star jumps.... If you are able to play outside you can use whatever garden toys you might have. Involve your child in what to include in the activity course if you can. Make sure you help your child count the number of times they are doing each element of the course to reinforce their numbers. For older toddlers you could count how long it takes them to complete the course, and then challenge them to do it even faster.
Activity Dice.
During class we often use our big soft dice in our activities. This is great to help develop counting skills because each time the dice is thrown we point to the dots and count them out loud together.
You can use a normal board game dice at home, as long as you are supervising younger toddlers closely so that it does not go in their mouth - or you can buy large inflatable dice as well as the soft foam kind. Alternatively you could make your own dice out of a cube shaped box, and draw or stick dots on each side.
As well as just throwing the dice and counting the dots you can add to the game by choosing an action or activity to be performed however many times the dice says. Example might be, jump on the spot, turn around, clap your hands etc. Or you could choose an activity depending on what number the dice lands on, for example if you throw a number one you play catch in the garden, throw a two and you build a tower out of blocks.
Lots more activities here soon - give them a try and let us know what you think.
Have a great day playing with your little one.
There are lots of fun and easy ways to introduce counting and numbers into activities with your toddler - here are a couple of ideas to try at home.
1,2,3,4,5 Obstacle Course.
Set up an obstacle/activity course for your toddler involving 1 thing, then 2, then 3 etc
For example climb over one cushion, run twice around the living room, put three toys in a box, roll over 4 times along the floor, do 5 star jumps.... If you are able to play outside you can use whatever garden toys you might have. Involve your child in what to include in the activity course if you can. Make sure you help your child count the number of times they are doing each element of the course to reinforce their numbers. For older toddlers you could count how long it takes them to complete the course, and then challenge them to do it even faster.
Activity Dice.
During class we often use our big soft dice in our activities. This is great to help develop counting skills because each time the dice is thrown we point to the dots and count them out loud together.
You can use a normal board game dice at home, as long as you are supervising younger toddlers closely so that it does not go in their mouth - or you can buy large inflatable dice as well as the soft foam kind. Alternatively you could make your own dice out of a cube shaped box, and draw or stick dots on each side.
As well as just throwing the dice and counting the dots you can add to the game by choosing an action or activity to be performed however many times the dice says. Example might be, jump on the spot, turn around, clap your hands etc. Or you could choose an activity depending on what number the dice lands on, for example if you throw a number one you play catch in the garden, throw a two and you build a tower out of blocks.
Lots more activities here soon - give them a try and let us know what you think.
Have a great day playing with your little one.
Sunday 13 September 2009
Introducing Tots Play Extra
Tots Play classes (Developmental Play classes for the Under Fives) have been running for a few months now and we have just started the new Autumn Term.
We do lots of fun activities at our classes, but although it may not always seem like it (!) everything we do is carefully planned and included for its contribution to the development of the children participating.
During class it is not always possible to explain all the reasons behind what we do, so this blog will talk about how and why a selection of our activities are beneficial for our little ones, and also give some ideas of things to do at home to continue the Tots Play experience!
We will also add some of these ideas as well as suggested resources to our website www.totsplay.co.uk - so make sure you visit us there as well.
Even if you are not able to join us at our classes I hope these posts will help you and your little one to have fun and learn together.
We do lots of fun activities at our classes, but although it may not always seem like it (!) everything we do is carefully planned and included for its contribution to the development of the children participating.
During class it is not always possible to explain all the reasons behind what we do, so this blog will talk about how and why a selection of our activities are beneficial for our little ones, and also give some ideas of things to do at home to continue the Tots Play experience!
We will also add some of these ideas as well as suggested resources to our website www.totsplay.co.uk - so make sure you visit us there as well.
Even if you are not able to join us at our classes I hope these posts will help you and your little one to have fun and learn together.
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