To play is the greatest way for a child at any age to best grow, explore, and develop physically and mentally.
But whether you participate in your child’s play or allow them to engage on their own while watching from afar, it is indeed something to be taken seriously and enjoyed fully.
In this article, I’ll be sharing some fun and important games & ways to play with your little one that’ll help in their development that I have done with my own babe.
“Where’s your nose?”
Playing this simple yet effective game going over the names of body parts and having your little one better understand what makes up their body also helps in strengthening vocabulary and fine motor skills.
Plus watching kiddos excitedly giggle and participate is such a joy to watch!
Singing
Whether it’s “head and shoulders, knees and toes”, or at the end of the day when you encourage your little one to “clean up, clean up”, a nursery rhyme or other childhood favorite of yours can make learning and even simple, age-appropriate household tasks more enjoyable.
Plus music is a great way to strengthen memory skills, develop their fine motor skills, and gross motor skills!
Playing with a Ball
Whether you roll them back and forth, bounce them all over the place, or pass them, playing with a ball, big or small, or a bunch of them is a great play tool in developing hand-eye coordination, your child’s motor skills, and also sets the stage for as they get older in developing positive collaborative and competitive skills.
Plus making them different colors or having favorite beloved characters on them that your kiddo knows and loves makes it that much more special for them – my little one loves his Avengers ball!
Peekaboo
“Peekaboo” is a classic game that babies and toddlers all absolutely love! Whether you put your hands over your face or use a blanket or towel to do so, it can entertain your little one and cause smiles galore.
Peekaboo is important in that it stimulates little one’s senses, builds gross motor skills, encourages social development, and also teaches object permanence; meaning that the idea that even though your little one can’t see something shows that it still exists.
Plus playing this game is great for a good giggle-fest as it stimulates their sense of humor!
Outdoor Fun
Being outdoors whether for walks, playing with bubbles or balls, exploring, or even playing in puddles benefits everyone involved, your little one, and you!
Playing and being outside helps in your child’s health & mental performance, gives them the freedom to run, jump, move & groove, therefore, increasing their activity levels, provides them opportunities for hands-on learning, allows them to enjoy their natural environment and to seek it out for exercise, fresh air, and activity, as well as improves motor skills such as balance, coordination, and agility.
Making Messes
You might see it as an annoyance, BUT, there is a very good reason as to why your little one, especially as they become toddlers, make messes.
The reason is for sensory input to learn about their environment around them. In Metro Parent’s June article called, “Why Toddlers Love Making Messes”, Dr. Dana M. Cohen, Ph.D. who directs autism and early childhood evaluation and services at Beaumont in Royal Oak, explains why and how parents can help their kids explore this kind of play.
“At ages 1-3, unstructured exploratory play is not only what they learn the most from,” Cohen says, “it’s what they enjoy the most. …The more senses they can use to explore their environment, the better.”
At the root of all the mess is simply curiosity. So create opportunities to play with play-doh or paint, or while eating allowing them some independence when it comes to feeding themselves even if a mess is inevitable, cause more often than not, they won’t need a whole lot of help in making a mess happen, which is fine.
Playtime with or in Water
Filling the tub, sink, or kiddie pool with water and adding in bath toys or having some pots, pans, and kitchen utensils can be a super fun way to entertain your little one for hours.
You can also mix colored water, use this time to wash toys which mix fun and getting a chore done in one go, make scoops and funnels, and the options are endless with all you can do.
Water play not only gives your little one hours of playtime but a valuable opportunity to enhance their imaginations and creativity. Not to mention that water play helps them with developing their hand-eye coordination and exploration with sensory play.
Music
Even though we covered singing earlier, music in general from setting out pots and pans to bang on, to placing your little one on their own or in your lap at the piano, or dancing are all great ways to spend fun quality time with your little one.
My kiddo loves anything and everything to do with music, especially when he gets to choose a CD for us to dance together to and it definitely brightens my day!
Not only is it great for bonding, but music overall helps the mind and body work together to build motor skills while also allows them an opportunity for self-expression. Music also helps with memory skills, refining listening skills, builds creativity, and helps with learning the sounds and meanings of words.
Playtime is the Best Time
Every minute that your little one gets to play on their own and especially with you is time that is to be cherished and encouraged.
It’ll help them develop a life-long love for learning, curiosity, creativity, and awareness of themselves and the world around them.
Embrace playtime for all the fun to be had and the countless ways that it’ll benefit your child now and in the long run. Plus it’ll do you as a parent a world of good to get up, get involved, and have a good ole time yourself. Long live playtime!
Now I’d love to hear from you: What was your favorite toy to play with as a kid? Please comment below and share this post if it has been of value to you or could be to someone else!
**If you enjoyed this article, feel free to check out these other great & insightful posts:
🎉https://stephanietracywrites.com/why-giving-your-baby-the-freedom-to-explore-will-benefit-them-in-the-long-run/
🎉https://stephanietracywrites.com/how-to-encourage-your-babys-movement-development-journey/
🎉https://stephanietracywrites.com/how-to-help-calm-your-baby-through-growth-spurts-emotional-breakdowns/
🎉https://stephanietracywrites.com/the-importance-joy-of-reading-with-your-child-plus-a-list-of-25-of-our-familys-current-favorite-childrens-books/
About the Author
Hi there! I’m Stephanie Tracy, a freelance writer, and blogger for hire. I specialize in physical and mental health, parenting, and self-development. I create engaging, inspiring, and useful content to help businesses progress in making their viewers into customers. When I’m not writing, you can find me on the floor happily playing with my baby boy, walking in the park with my family, or indulging in a movie marathon with my husband.
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