27 Sep 2017
BY: Administrator
By Carey Phillipps
September 1, 2017.
Whether your child has a developmental delay or not, there are a few basic toys that are very good for developing essential skills, especially in the first eighteen months or twenty four months. Many parents strive to acquire toys that have a lot of sounds or lights, and while these do have a place, there are more basic toys that you can buy and they are available locally at a very reasonable cost. As a developmental specialist, these are ten toys that I personally use in my practice that I have found to be excellent in helping to develop fine motor skills, problem solving, coordination and language. These are:
- Stacking rings
- Fairly big coloured blocks for stacking – rubber, plastic or wood
- Nesting boxes or cups
- A ball about the size of a basket ball or just a little smaller
- A small car with four moveable wheels …. I like rubber or plastic cars …ensure it has no small parts and the wheels don’t come off easily
- A rattle
- A bucket or container with a cover
- A shape sorter
- A stuffed toy or doll
- A cloth book with a plastic mirror
- If you are not in a position to acquire these toys, here are some other suggestions of items around the house that you can find easily and will be useful to play with your toddler.
- Empty plastic party cups, coloured and transparent
- Empty cardboarfood d boxes.
- Plastic bucket
- Empty plastic bottles with and without covers
- Plastic spoon
- A sock that can be used to make a hand puppet
- A plastic plate about 8″ in diameter
- A cloth, scarf or washcloth for peekaboo or hiding items underneath
- The important thing is to ensure that play time is a positive experience for both you and your child.
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