Playing with your children is giving them quality time, creating a unique, fulfilling interaction and building a connection. Expressing pleasure when playing with your children gives them confidence and teaches them that they are important. Children and parents learn about each other when playing.
Do you need toys to play?
Toys are relevant when they provide pleasure to the little ones and incite children to be active in their learning. If they need to use their capacities and imagination to bring a toy to life and find multiple uses for it, this would be considered a good toy. Choose a variety of versatile, age-appropriate toys.
Tips and tricks for updating your material and ideas at an affordable price.
Because toys are expensive, a membership to a toy library or regular library provides access to a large variety of toys, games and books at an affordable price. Buying second-hand toys can also prove to be wise and less expensive. Items you would recycle, such as a mere cardboard box and pierced containers, can be turned into houses, boats, beds, musical instruments or bath toys. A box filled with old clothes can be used for dressing up and creating characters. Paper, noodles, cotton balls, buttons, straws and yarn can all be used for arts and crafts. Of course, adults need to check the quality of the recycled items put at the child's disposal. The materials and toys selected must be age appropriate. Plastic bags should always be avoided. Furthermore, small objects are a choking hazard for very young children.
Sources and useful links
- CLOUTIER, Sonia. L’étayage : Agir comme guide pour soutenir l’autonomie : Pour un enfant à son plein potentiel. Presses de l’Université du Québec, 2012. 216 pages.
- HUERRE, Patrice. Place au jeu! Jouer pour apprendre à vivre. Éditions Nathan, 2007. 143 pages.
- Naître et Grandir
- WARNER, Penny. Baby Play and Learn: 160 Games and Learning Activities for the First Three Years. Meadowbrook, 1999.186 pages.
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