BACKGROUND MATERIAL TOYS & PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT About the Author and the Guide Introduction Play Development Guide Older Children Useful Information Summary Charts to Child Development About The Author And The Guide The “Toys and Play in Child Development” guide w as commissioned by the British T oy and Hobby Association and Play Matters. The British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) is the official body representing Britain’s £2.9 billion toy industry and represents over 90% of the U K toy market. All toys produced by member companies are produced according to the highest British and European standards of toy safety and quality. The British Toy and Hobby Association would like to see unsafe toy s excluded from the British m arket. T owards this obj ective, the BTHA launched a toy safety mark which is prominently displayed on the packaging of toys supplied by its members. Some members do not display the mark on their packaging as this is a UK symbol, however they still make their toys to the same high standards. For a full list of members that are able to use the mark visit the members page of the BTHA website. All members sign the same strict safety code. The symbol is known as the ‘ Lion Mark’. In the interest of child safety and so as to force unsafe toys out of the market, we would ask you, the consumer, to ensure that the toys you purchase come under the Lion Mark. The BTHA is delighted to be associated with this guide and w e hope that it w ill help you appreciate the many purposes of toy play for the developing child. Play Matters, the campaign title for the National Association of Toy and Leisure Libraries (NATLL), is a registered children’s charity which promotes the value and enjoyment to be gained from toy s through a network of 1, 000 m ember toy libraries in the UK. The toy libraries loan carefully selected, good quality toy s and games to families with young children, including children w ith special needs. Toy libraries also offer a befriending and supporting service to parents and carers. The author, Jeni Hooper, is a child psy chologist with a particular interest in how children learn and develop skills through play . The author w orks as an educational psychologist, harnessing theories of child development to help those with special needs for whom learning is not such a relaxed and easy process. BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT INTRODUCTION What is Play Different Types of Play Helping Your Child Play Choosing Things To Do Buying or Borrowing Toys INTRODUCTION What is Play ? Play is fun. Everyone agrees about that. Some people think that play is just a nice way for children to use up their free tim e but that it can’ t be important or useful. They are wrong. Just because you enjoy it, doesn’t mean it isn’t good for you. So what is play for? Why do children, of all ages, all over the world play whenever they have the chance? The simple answer is that play is how children learn and m aking it fun is nature’ s way of ensuring that children get lots and lots of practice. Even tiny babies play, practising moving their hands or sucking their toes which helps them learn to control their bodies. The games children play are directly linked to the needs of the growing body and mind. Children’ s play has been closely studied by child psychologists who have catalogued the pattern of developm ent of skills and abilities from birth. It’s not only young humans who play as a way to learn, young animals do too. A kitten will chase, pounce on and play-fight a ball of w ool or a toy mouse. It w ill lie in w ait for you and then attack your foot as you walk past. It is busy learning how to hunt and catch its dinner. Children have much more to learn and it takes m uch longer to grow up. So many skills to learn: how to walk, talk, make things with your hands to name a few. Each one needs lots of time spent playing and practising to perfection. We can’t afford to begrudge the time children spend at play. It is how they learn. If play is a child’s work then they must also have the tools for their trade. Toys are tools that help a child to enjoy play. This guide tells you about the stages o f play and development all children go through and suggests games, activities and toys which you might want to try. Different Types of Play Children develop from tiny, helpless babies and need to practise lots of different activities to develop the skills and abilities they need as they grow. 1. Exploratory play - to explore the world, to see, to hear, touch and taste new things. 2. Construction play - to discover how things w ork. To take them apart and put them together again and learn what properties they have - size, weight, colour, shape, materials. 3. Energetic play - to practise new physical skills to help the maturing body become more versatile and skilled e.g. running, climbing. 4. Modelling - to learn from watching others and copying them. 5. Pretend play - to act out a mixture of fact and fantasy in a safe context away from adult interference. This m ay be to explore new things a child finds difficult or frightening or it might be just to let off steam. 6. Social play - to provide a pleasant opportunity to be with other children who are more important than the gam e itself. Different games may be tried then abandoned to avoid damaging disputes unlike pretend play where the game is more important. 7. Skilful play - to practise skills involving finely complex sequences of activity. controlled, sm all m ovements or Some play activities will involve several of these elements Helping Your Child To Play Play tends to develop spontaneously . It does not depend on you always taking the lead. Children are born with a strong desire to explore and learn from their w orld. H owever, your child will need you to help make her world a safe but exciting place to learn. You can draw things to her attention too. Play is important in childhood and needs to be encouraged. Opportunities can be provided for play that fit in with her needs and interests. Toys are important but not the whole story. Sometimes borrowing something from the kitchen or garage makes the game more exciting and real than playing with a child-size copy. Sometimes her imagination will be rich enough to provide hours of play with no props or costumes. She learns by exploring and discovering things but that doesn’t mean you can’t help or join in too. She will be pleased if you: 1. Provide ideas or materials to play with. 2. Make sure she has a suitable play space that can be protected from damage and is absolutely safe. Then you can both relax 3. Join in her games at her level. Don’t try to take over or direct it. Show her you’re having fun too. 4. Be willing to take turns. Sometimes you’ll lose interest before she does. Try to extend the game one stage further if she’ll let you. If not, be patient! 5. Show her new w ays of play ing w ith an old toy but don’ t try to insist that she copies y ou. She may not be able to do so yet and may worry that she is disappointing you. 6. Relax and enjoy yourself. Most of us know how to play if w e can get in touch with the child that is inside us. Research has shown that adults can intuitively adapt both their speech and their actions to a simpler level which reflects their child’s own development. Choosing Things To Do This is not as hard as it sounds. Don’t start by looking at all those delightful toys in your local toy shop. First, watch your child as she play s and see w hat she likes to do. Play always reflects a child’ s development and show s you both w hat she can do and what she feels like doing too. Use that information to select toys that will get a lot of good use. Children’s development follows a definite pattern that has been widely studied and written about. The body of knowledge can be used to predict the next stages of development that will emerge naturally in a child’ s play . T he m ajority of children follow through all the stages not only in the same order but at a remarkably sim ilar point in their childhood. However, this time scale is not identical for all children so don’t worry if your child shows some variation from the average. An average is set as the time when 50% of children have developed a skill (and, of course, 50% haven’t!). It just isn’t true that the earlier a child learns som ething the more intelligent she must be. Early development is linked to experience and encouragement as well as a natural capacity to learn. Helping your child to grow and learn is vital but you can’t make things happen before nature is ready. When choosing play ideas it helps to identify y our child’ s interests and strengths first. Then choose toys and activities that she will enjoy but that also provide a little novelty and challenge. Too advanced a toy can overface her or she may just lose interest. Buying or Borrowing Toys Toys are the tools children use to learn. They can also use real objects as playthings. Look for things around the house that can be borrowed safely. Think too about the things you can make yourself. Young children can outgrow toys quickly. You could see if there is a toy library in y our area. Ask at the local library or contact Play Matters, 68 Churchway London, NW1 ILT or telephone 020 7387 9592 Toys are often the first things that children know really belong to them. This is important for developing a sense of identity . If y ou borrow a lovely toy she m ay be sad to take it back. Perhaps this. is a good way to decide what to buy next. Choosing toys is difficult with so many wonderful ones on offer. Think about what she likes doing. If she is always running around, a bike or a ball may be better than a sewing kit. She may not take the hint to settle quietly. what she is .able to do. The guide on child developm ent will help you decide. Pick toys that use these skills but also provide a little challenge and novelty which may help her with new skills. make sure that a toy can be used in lots of ways so it rem ains interesting once the first excitement wears off. check for safety . L ook for the Lion Mark and the British Standards symbols. This is your guarantee of quality and provides peace of mind. All toys sold in the UK should have a CE mark, too. do be cautious about buying second hand or cheap toy s. T hey m ay be m ade of inferior materials that are toxic, have dangerous parts or break easily causing cuts as well as disappointment do read the box carefully. Usually it will recommend a suitable age range as well as tell you about the contents Play Development Guide This section of the guide is divided into the following age groups: Babies Toddlers Pre-school years 5-7 year olds Each of the above sections address the following subjects Safety Recommended types of toys Games and activities Note : Please remember that the quoted times are an average - only half of all children will be able to do it. There is a natural pattern of variation on either side of the given ages. Some children mature earlier, others later. Similarly, advice on toys and activities is linked to average interests. Do remember, many toys have a long play life and can be enjoyed for years whilst others are soon outgrown BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT PLAY DEVELOPMENT GUIDE Babies Toddlers The Pre-school Years 5 – 7 Year Olds BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT PLAY DEVELOPMENT GUIDE BABIES Safety Recommended Types Of Toys ( 0 – 12 Months ) Things To Do Together Things To Look At Things To Listen To Learning To Talk Things to Touch Getting Going Floor Games for Small Babies Sitting Up Crawling and Walking BABIES Safety Once she can reach and hold things they will go in her mouth Check that : it can’t be swallowed and cause her to choke it can’t break and cause cuts and scratches it is painted with safe non-toxic paint everything is very clean as she will suck things avoid anything that could suffocate a young baby – cushions and pillows can be a danger as well as plastic bags. beware of anything that could get w ound round her neck or cut off her blood supply avoid heavy objects which she could drop on herself Recommended type of toys for babies ( 0 – 12 months ) rattles squeaky toys mobiles cot or pram toys music boxes cot mirror baby light balloons balls, chimes or bells drum hammer bench soft toys teething rings toys with suction-type base activity centres bath toys Things to do together Babies are alert and interested in the world from the moment they are born. They don’t see clearly at first and depend on you to move them and hold them so they can look and listen. Babies are m uch more interested in people than objects so lots of cuddles and soothing voices are best in the first few weeks. They are fascinated by faces and look for longer at these than anything else. Get close so that she can see you. Learning to concentrate closely on one thing takes m any y ears to develop. A baby’s attention moves on rapidly from one interesting thing to another. There’s so much to see and hear. Playing together is important for the bonds that it builds w ith people. Take your cue from her reactions and moods. Change the game when she loses interest. Things to look at Faces are best but when she’s resting or you are busy make sure she has lots to do. Mobiles: these should be big, bright and bold and close enough for her to see clearly. You could make your own by hanging brightly coloured things on string or a coat hanger or buy one which attaches to the side of the cot. Balloons move around and are big and bright. Y ou could draw a big, bold face on one. Mirrors: cot mirrors attach to the bars and can be placed so that she can see it when her head rests naturally on one side. It’s probably the light and changing reflection she enjoys at this stage. Cot or pram toys can be strung across the pram or cot and provide variety, colour, movement, and sound. Later she will try to touch them too so they must be light but strong and too big to be swallowed. Everyday objects: most things interest her. Let her see and touch things y ou use at home. Things to listen to Babies have good hearing from birth. She w ill begin to recognise her mother’s voice within days and show an interest in conversations long before she can talk herself. Other things to listen to include: Rattles (som e w ith w rist bands are suitable for very sm all babies who can’t hold things yet) Squeaky toys Musical toys Nursery rhyme tapes: these can be bought but very small babies might prefer to hear a familiar voice singing to them on tape Ball chimes or bells Drums or anything to bang on and m ake a noise. She w ill love to do this herself once she can move her hands and take a good aim. Learning to talk Although her first words probably w on’t be heard until around 10-15 m onths she is learning about language from birth. She needs to see and hear as m uch as she can to help her make sense of the world. Do keep her near y ou as m uch as y ou can. Talk to her and tell her what you are doing. Show her things too. Let her listen to adult conversations so she sees the “give and take” of language. Do join in with her sound games. It may only be noises to you but she will gradually play at conversations w ith y ou and learn that m aking sounds gets people to take notice. Sing to her - songs and nursery rhymes are great fun and can have actions added which help make meaning clear. There are lots of books and tapes available if you can’t remember songs from your childhood. Books - looking at baby books with their bright pictures of familiar things gives you lots to tell her as well as show her. Going out - point things out to her w hen you are out. Later she may begin to point things out to you. Things to touch Small babies’ bodies and mouths are much more sensitive than their hands. Their sense of touch is an important way of learning about the world as well as being a marvellous source of pleasure and relaxation. Playmats - these can have a variety of different materials -velvet, fur, cotton, wool which create different sensations on the skin. Pram or cot activity bars - sm all babies love to look at the different things happening near them but as they learn to move their arms they will begin to swipe at and later grab things within reach. Rattles and teething rings encourage her to look at and explore things by touch too. The sound it makes will add to her interest in it. Activity centres - these provide lots of different things to see, touch and listen to. It will need to be fixed or placed securely so that it doesn’t topple over when she pushes or probes at it. Hammer bench - once she can hold something she soon learns she can make a noise too. She will love pounding the pegs into their holes. Getting going Babies are born quite helpless. Learning to control her body is the major task for her first year of life. Progress is gradual, starting from the head and moving downwards. Her head is heavy and much bigger in proportion to her body than yours. It will need support until her neck and back muscles are really strong. Floor games for small babies Playing with her and touching her helps to develop a sense of her ow n body. It w ill take her a long time to control and move it herself. You could play floor games together. Wave to me - put a finger into her hand. you can gently lift and wave her arm. Tickling - great fun if it’s part of a song so she can see, hear and feel your presence. You could play “round and round the garden” on her tummy. Pat the baby - like peek-a-boo but you move in close to pat her tu mmy saying: “Here I come!”. Parachutes - let her watch your hand gently floating down towards her. Cycling - let her push her feet against y our hands. You could gently move her legs in a cycling action. From three months, she can begin to lift her head if she is ly ing down. Speak to the top of her head or hold a rattle nearby. Squeak a favourite toy. Rolling over - around four m onths she m ay begin to roll over. Encourage this by putting a toy just out of reach or lie down Sitting Up She can see so much more from a sitting position but she will need good support until she can sit on her own. Even then she is likely to topple over if she reaches for something. A baby chair with a tray can have a selection of toys and household items put on it for her to explore. She w ill not look at any thing for long and will drop them. Suction toys may stay in place but she may lose interest unless it’s fun to swipe at and makes a good noise. Crawling and walking Once she starts to m ove around any thing w ithin reach becom es a toy to be looked at, banged and sucked. Once she can stand and take a few steps she may enjoy a baby walker. A strong sturdy wheeled toy which will provide stability and balance. BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT PLAY DEVELOPMENT GUIDE TODDLERS Safety Recommended Types Of Toys ( 1 – 3 Years ) The Second Year of Life ( 12 – 24 Months ) Physical Development Listening and Talking Putting Two Words Together Looking and Doing The Third Year of Life ( 24 – 36 Months ) Listening and Talking Looking and Doing Play Together TODDLERS Safety Once she can move around, extra safety precautions are essential. Use safety gates across the top and bottom of the stairs. Put fixed fire guards across fires. Use plug guards. Put harmful substances and dangerous objects high up preferably locked away. Always use a harness with her baby chairs and push chair. Keep all outside doors and gates shut, locked if necessary. Make sure she can’t shut herself in the bathroom or freezer. Don’t leave hot drinks or food where she can get them. Turn saucepan handles inwards and use a cooker guard if possible. Don’t leave her alone with water - a sm all child can drown in only a few inches in the bottom of the bowl Recommended types of toys for children aged 1-3 activity centres sorting boxes pop-up toys stacking toys wheeled toys (small) pull-along toys bath toys inset puzzles floor puzzles play houses soft toys dolls construction sets miniature sets - household, animals etc. climb on toys toy ‘phones shuffle toys trikes musical instruments books finger paints large crayons The Second Year of Life (12 – 24 months) She will be moving around now whether it’s bottom shuffling, crawling or walking. She is likely to be a little unsteady and tends to m ove only in straight lines w hatever is in her way. She works very hard at learning to use and control her body. If she falls down at first she will get up and try again. She is also intensely curious and very energetic. Perhaps it is nature’ s way of giving her the means to learn. She will want to see and touch every thing she comes across. Now she may also have some words for som e of the things she know s and w ill be ready to learn others. It is a very exciting, interesting and exhausting time for both of you! Physical Development Provide opportunities for standing and w alking by arranging furniture so she can pull herself up and move across small gaps at first. Her baby walker will provide support and balance at first. Later she may enjoy: pull-along toys on a string dancing together to m usic to help her enj oy her body and her new found range of movements. Hold on to her hands if she’s unsteady chase games - even if she prefers to bottom shuffle you can pretend to chase and catch her hide and seek - at first y ou might have to both hide and then find her, or call her to find you. Later you can both take turns as she understands the gam e better mirror games - use a full length m irror to play copying games. Stand behind her where she can see y ou, then copy her movements or the faces she pulls. Take turns so she can laugh at you copying her. Listening and talking First words are often hard to be sure about. She has so few sounds and chatters to you with all the noises she can m ake. W as it j ust chance? Her first few words will be labels for things that are really important to her. She learns words by associating what she sees with what she hears. You can help make this clear by: Showing her things and saying the word clearly as part of your “conversation”. Use gestures to help explain things when you talk together. Play fetching gam es - she w ill know more words than she uses herself. Ask her to get things for you one at a time. Asking games - roll a ball to her and ask her to push it back. She then has to ask you to roll it to her. Putting two words together Words are used singly at first just to label objects. Once she has more to say about things one word by itself won’t be enough. Encourage this stage by: Providing her with plenty to see, hear and do. Let her listen to fam ily and friends and encourage her to join in the conversation - or change the subject! Explain what things are and how they work. When she w ants to comment on how things look or what they do she will start to join her words together. Ask her opinion on things to do, places to go, things to eat wherever practical. Mime actions for her to label e.g. “mummy jump”. Use bright, bold pictures or, better still, family photographs to play the same game. Invent a game where she can be bounced or swung only if she asks “Suzy swing”. Looking and doing She can now reach, grasp, hold and let go of things with either hand or both together. She is very, very curious and loves to explore things, taking them apart, emptying containers and tipping things onto the floor. A nything she play s with needs to be tough because it will get rough handling. She will enjoy: A treasure box - full of things chosen for their interest value and safety for a young enquiring m ind. A nything that is bright, colourful, patterned, of an interesting texture or that bends, squeezes or makes a noise. Things that smell good are fun too. You’ll find lots of things around the house e. g. a lemon, a velvet pincushion (no pins), a tea strainer, measuring spoons, a piece of loofah. Making music - she will like to hit and bang things. Buy her a drum or lend her a wooden spoon and a shoe box. Peg boards - big wooden pieces to take out and possibly fit back again. Bricks (or old food packets) to stack and then knock over. Shape sorters - bought or made out of an empty ice cream tub. Inset j igsaws - w ith a picture underneath w hen y ou lift up the big easy handles. to hold Water - in the bath or sink to tip, pour and splash. Crayons and pencils - to scribble with and enjoy the colour and movement. Playing house - she will try to help you out at home with all the jobs you have time to show her. Give her a duster w hen you are cleaning or a few spoons to splash in the water when the washing up is done. There are lots of “house” toys that look like the real thing but she’s probably not ready for tiny miniatures yet. The Third Year of Life (24 – 36 months) Her balance and coordination are im proving rapidly. She can move to avoid things in her path. She will enjoy a lot of energetic play with big toys which will help her coordination. Shuffle toys - at first she can only sit and push herself along with her legs. Later, she may prefer a pedal trike. Pull along toys - these go with her as she goes. At first she may walk backwards to watch it follow her. Later, she will take its presence for granted. Climb on toy s - she is m ore adventurous and can m ove under or over things. She will clim b on any thing, so do cast an ey e around w ith safety in m ind at home. Bought climbing frames although expensive are very safe and sturdy. Do check that they are on a soft surface in case she falls. Big and sm all balls - she w ill throw and kick balls w ith enthusiasm but poor aim. She can’t catch with her hands alone as yet, but uses her arms to pin the ball against her body. Pedal trikes - later in this y ear she m ay learn to pedal and steer and can then get around at considerable speed. Listening and talking Now she can tell y ou things in longer, clearer phrases. She also asks lots of questions. There is so much she doesn’t know yet and needs you to explain. She doesn’t always listen to your reply. That’s because her attention span is brief and her mind is soon on something new. She will enjoy : Nursery rhymes - she will be able to join in with some of the words and action. “What’s that?” games - ask her to tell y ou what familiar objects are w hen you are out or looking at a book. Use it as an “opener” to expand her knowledge and tell her more about it. Keep it light and conversational. Short stories - she doesn’t listen for long and likes to hear old favourites. She is beginning to use her imagination and stories are wonderfully exciting. Fetching and carry ing - she loves to help and j oin in w ith adult tasks. She can probably remember two things you ask her to get for you. Looking and doing She is learning how to do quite complicated things with her hands. She has more ideas too on what to do and wants to find out how things work. Construction toys - bricks w hich lock together like duplo or stickle bricks can be used to make tall buildings or pretend vehicles. Models won’t be very sophisticated yet Jigsaws - she may enjoy big floor puzzles with large easy to handle pieces and big colourful pictures. She can judge better which pieces go where with inset puzzles. Shape sorters - from sim ple posting boxes w ith a few shapes through to m ore complicated activity boxes which do som ething if y ou slot the right pieces in. She will learn to look and judge colour and shape and to predict what will happen. Soft toys, dolls and puppets - these toy s come into their ow n now. She can express herself more freely and her imagination is developing. She probably will prefer to play solo with these toys than join in with other children. Home corner - she enj oys copy ing y ou and doing real j obs but may also start to pretend to be an adult with tools that she’s borrowed for the kitchen or the garage. She w ill begin to play in an im aginary world using scaled down versions of domestic tools and equipment if you provide them. Threading - she can coordinate quite difficult small movements using both hands to hold a bead in one and thread the lace with the other. Creative play - she can try her hand at cutting and sticking using old magazines and safety scissors. She could print with potato pieces and thick paint or just scribble with crayons. She w on’t be draw ing pictures y et. She w ill be very messy so cover her and a large area around her! Play together She may have brothers and sisters or you may have joined a mother and toddler group or a toy library when she was smaller. But you might be wondering about playgroup sometime soon and what to expect. She will benefit from the company and will probably watch other children playing but most two year olds prefer to play alone. Gradually, she may begin to join in games briefly, but, at the m oment, she’s much too busy exploring her ow n ideas and gaining a first hand experience of the w orld. It is an im portant time and can’t be rushed. There’s plenty of time for friends in the future. BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT PLAY DEVELOPMENT GUIDE PRE SCHOOL YEARS ( 3 – 5 YEAR OLDS ) Recommended Types Of Toys ( 3 – 5 Years ) Games and Activities Creative Play Pretend Play Social Play Experimental Play Energetic Play Playing With Adults PRE SCHOOL YEARS (3-5 Year Olds) Recommended toys for 3 – 5 year olds Hand puppets Finger puppets Dressing-up clothes Small vehicles Large trikes, bikes, lorries or hoppers Musical instruments Cassette player Construction kits Balls Train sets Model farms, houses, villages, zoos, garages Playmats - to provide town and countryside backgrounds Fantasy toys - space stations etc Theme toys - care bears, turtles Dolls Puzzles! jigsaws Electronic toys House kits - childsize furniture, tea sets Climbing frames and play gyms Building and construction sets Painting and colouring kits Play dough Board games Toy telephone Books Games and activities Children are now more able to keep them selves am used and play at gam es they invent with toys or borrowed treasures they find. They will gradually learn to: play together develop fantasy games describe their wishes and ideas clearly to friends in play make and design things in creative play discover more about the world through experimenting in play Creative play This can be messy so cover her up in an old shirt or blouse buttoned at the back and cover the floor and table to protect from spills. Three year olds “ create” things very quickly and m ight be put off if y ou try to improve their work of art. Attention to detail will develop later. You could provide : big crayons a large paint brush and non-spill pots of paint magazines to cut up paper or pasta shapes to glue on straws to “blow paint” with vegetables cut up for block painting lots of paper - recycle household supplies which have something on one side only safe glue or paste - she may try and taste it play dough or plasticine and cutting tools Pretend play Anything and everything can becom e the subj ect for pretend play . Children appreciate having lots of props and dressing up clothes. Clothes - big, “easy to get in and out of” garm ents are best but m ake sure they are not too long. T exture and colour are m ore im portant than style. Choose bright, shiny, silky or glittery materials. Lengths of material can be transformed into trains, cloaks, veils and blankets. Accessories - shoes, handbags, j ewellery, artificial flow ers, hats, feathers, purses, will all add interest. Props - as with toddlers, a lot of play is domestic and furniture and household items bought, borrowed or made can help set the scenes. Toy farms, zoos, garages, space stations are equally popular. Puppets - sometimes it’s more fun to have a character to pretend about. Glove or finger puppets provide hours of fun. Social play Children usually discover that play ing together can be fun around this tim e. At first it is brief and often ends in tears. But this is soon forgotten when the excitement of a new game starts. If your child does not attend playgroup or nursery yet she will rely on you to help her meet other children and have a safe place to play together. Being with other children is fun but she w ill learn a lot too from playing and talking with her new friends. Simple games with rules that involve taking turns become possible now. Board games usually need an adult to help out too. Experimental play Children are very interested in w hat things are and how they work. She will have lots of questions for willing adult ears and will try to test things out for herself too. Sand - wet and dry sand have different properties. Two washing up bowls - one for each - w ill allow her to com pare pouring, tipping and sifting dry sand with the shapes and patterns that can be m ade in w et. She w ill also need a bucket, spade, sieve, and comb to make patterns and different containers and shapes to im print with. Water - tipping and pouring is fun for a w hile, but older children m ay like to experiment with different sized containers to fill, or things that float or sink. Construction kits - from duplo through to m eccano sets there is som ething for everyone. Some kits come with instructions but don’t worry if she prefers to try out her own ideas. Energetic play Children are still learning a lot about what their bodies can do and are testing them to the limit. She will probably be full of energy from dawn to dusk! Climbing - is a favourite activity crawling under is much loved. and safe equipm ent for getting on, over or Trikes and bikes - steering and peddling improves as does balance, though children of this age have problems in finding safe places off the street in which to play. Playing With Adults Although she can now keep herself amused for sometime and is beginning to find friends she still needs adult company for stimulation as well as emotional support. This is the age when questions start early in the m orning and finish last thing at night! There is so much to learn, so m any new things that occur to her and she expects y ou to help her find the answer. The world is such a fascinating and exciting place viewed through a child’s eyes. You can j oin in her gam es or have her play board gam es w ith you but probably what you’ll both enj oy doing m ost is sharing tim e together, going out or doing chores and chatting all the time. Sharing books gives untold pleasure both big, bold picture books and those familiar stories she wants to hear over and over again without you changing a single line. BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT PLAY DEVELOPMENT GUIDE 5 – 7 YEAR OLDS Recommended Types Of Toys ( 5 – 7 Years ) Choosing Toys 5 – 7 YEAR OLDS Recommended toys for 5 – 7 year olds Please also look at the toys recommended for younger children. Most of them will still be enjoyed and you might also think about adding these to the list: bat and ball games roller skates, swing ball walkie talkie hand sets pencil sets and colouring kits craft and hobby kits, microscopes or magnifiers keyboard, musical instruments skipping rope! Choosing Toys Choosing toys now definitely depends on what she likes and w hat she wants to do. Most five y ear olds have developed all the basic phy sical and language skills and are now adding to their knowledge of the world around the m. Play reflects her o wn interests a nd enthusiasms rather than a “ biological im perative” to practise and develop fundamental skills. Suitable boards games involving the whole of the family can be fun. Some involve memory, others alertness and observation skills w hile others depend on careful coordination of the hands. Construction sets can now be quite sophisticated and som e depend on detailed following of com plicated plans w hile others encourage original planning and design. Older children have greater manual dexterity as well as being able to concentrate on fine detail, so creative play mentioned on page 35 enters a new phase of design and detail. Many children are beginning to develop their ow n hobbies and interests but can change their minds quite frequently. It can be frustrating to buy things that are soon ignored. Perhaps this is a good time to link spending on hobbies to children’s pocket money as well as the generous donations of friends and family. Electronic toys and games are very popular if rather expensive. If you do decide to invest in a hand-held gam e or a com puter, do research its versatility and whether you can buy additional equipment that will extend its play value. Imaginative play is now m uch m ore sophisticated and not so concerned with copying the day to day events in your household. Toys, props and costumes are still relished for adding fun as well as realism to the game. Stories and books are a focal part of her life both at school and at home to enrich her knowledge and feed her im agination. Sharing stories is of m uch greater value than time spent on word drills or copy ing exercises unless y ou have specifically been asked to do this by her teacher as well. Similarly, y ou can be of m ore help to her in m aths if y ou give her practical experience of weighing, measuring, counting and sorting at hom e. Cooking, shopping, hom e decorations all lend them selves beautifully to thinking about numbers and quantities. Collecting is often the first real hobby a child has. Many parents regret the fact that this natural stage of grow ing up has been so thoroughly catered for by manufacturers. Do bring other possibilities to her attention. Things picked up on a beach or a country walk can lead on to interesting stories and trips to the library for reference books once y ou are hom e. However, don’t underestimate peer group pressure even at this tender age. Collecting toy s from a series can be exciting if expensive. It’s probably a good idea to link this to her learning the value of money and saving up too. OLDER CHILDREN Growing up does not stop at seven, and neither does the need to play. Play continues to stimulate and encourage creative, im aginative and practical abilities in a way that the repetition we associate with the adult idea of “ work” seldom succeeds in doing. Children don’t learn as much from just watching and listening as they do from joining in and trying out things for themselves. They need us to guide them on the right path but w ill get so much more from the experience if they take an active part in the world around them. A child has outgrown the need to play and have toys only when she chooses to give them up herself. Most of us never really outgrow the pleasure and excitement of playing. USEFUL INFORMATION The Good Toy Guide is a consumer guide to toys and play, edited by Play Matters/NATLL and published annually in October. It is available at newsagents. Look out for the Lion Mark. This is the British toy industry’s symbol for safety and guarantees a quality product. The British Toy and Hobby Association introduced it 1989 to signal that a toy reaches British Safety Standard E N71. (BTHA, 80 Camberwell Road, London SE5 0EG. Tel : 020 7701 7271. Borrowing toys as well as buying toys will increase the possibilities for play. If you want to find out more about toy libraries contact www.natll.org.uk. Play Matters also produces a range of publications concerned w ith play. A publications list is available from the NATLL. BRIEFING NOTES : TOYS AND PLAY IN CHILD DEVELOPMENT SUMMARY CHARTS TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 0 – 4 Weeks 4 – 12 Weeks 3 – 6 Months 6 – 9 Months 9 – 12 Months 12 – 15 Months 15 – 18 Months 18 – 24 Months 2 – 2½ Years 2½ – 3 Years 3 – 4 Years 4 – 5 Years SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 0 – 4 Weeks Physical Development • Head and neck need support when • Large jerky movements of arms and held legs with no direction • Grasps objects placed in palm of hand • Hands are in fists but this is a reflex action • Baby lies on her back with head to one side Listening and Talking • Startled by load noises • Listens more closely to voices than other sounds • Will move eyes towards continuous sounds • Babbles using large range of sounds • Cries Looking and Doing • Can see light, shade and colour • Focusing is difficult, best vision close to face 8-20 cm • Turns head towards strong light • Can watch a moving object which is close and directly in front • Recognises mother’s face (by one month) Learning Independence • Is beginning to recognise people, is more likely to look at faces and listen to voices than anything else seen or heard • A young baby is completely dependent and cries to make needs known. They need lots of physical contact and gentle voices to listen to and faces to look at SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 4 - 12 Weeks Physical Development • Can move head more now when lying • Kicks vigorously down • Can hold head up for a few seconds if • Waves arms supported • Watches own hands and fingers • Can be propped up in a sitting position moving - this is perhaps the first signs of deliberate play • Opens and closes fists Listening and Talking • Knows familiar voice • Babbling increases when talked to • Recognises sounds associated with being fed • Gurgles when happy and contented Looking and Doing • Looks for longer at bright colours and • Can watch an object move over a bold patterns than pastels wider distance • Looks longest at faces or bold pictures of a human face Learning Independence • Greater physical control of movement • Babies are very active and curious and respond to lively surrounds and and improving vision allows a child to human company search out interesting things to see or hear SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 3-6 Months Physical Development • When lying on back can raise head to look at feet • Can grasp feet and play with toes • Can roll from back onto side but not over onto stomach (3 months) • Raises head when pulled to a sitting position • On front begins to raise self onto arms lifting head and shoulders (5-6 months) • Starts to roll from front to back • Can briefly hold objects placed in hand but does not yet look at them Listening and Talking • Turns towards sounds • Can now recognise an increasing number of situations linked to daily routine • Makes cooing and double vowel sounds eg goo goo • Begins to “talk’, then listens using babble lines, like a real conversation • Babbles with delight if tickled, touched or talked to • “Talks” to self as well as in company Looking and Doing • Beginning to reach for objects. Grasp • Focuses both eyes on objects - can improves over the period now see well at middle distance • Watches an object fall but then forgets • Can pass toy from one hand to the other it because it can’t be seen • Turns head to look at things first seen • Follows object dangled near face (612 inches) both from side to side and in the corner of the eye up and down Learning Independence • Although she now has a greater range of movements she cannot go far. She sees lots of interesting things around her and wants to look more closely. She likes to be included in everything as far as possible, exploring the world through touch, taste and smell as well as looking around. SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 6-9 Months Physical Development • Rolls over front to back • May begin to sit unsupported for a very short time • Raises head when lying down • Bounces and steps with feet when held up on solid surface • May get into crawling position and rock but not move • Picks things up in either hand • Can pass objects from hand to hand • Explores things by putting them into mouth • Reaches for and plays with toes • Holds things out to people but can’t let go in a controlled way Listening and Talking • Patterns of sounds made become longer and repetitive • Babble conversations becoming more frequent and pauses to listen to reply • Shouts to attract attention • Responds to own name • Listens attentively to adult conversations and watches speakers • May understand a few words by 9 months Looking and Doing • Concentration is increasing. Looks at objects for a longer period especially if holding them • Searches room for things to look at • Holds objects, turning them around • Recognises familiar faces • May begin to look for toy dropped out of sight or hidden (by 9 months plus) • Uses objects to make a noise by banging on surface or rattling Learning Independence • Can hold things more easily now and makes good use of rattles, shakes and activity toys • Baby bouncers and baby walkers provide a chance for her to walk by herself SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 9-12 Months Physical Development • Can sit alone without support • Later, may pull self up holding onto furniture • Can reach for toys when sitting • Cannot balance but may move without toppling over sideways keeping hold of support as • Can get up into a sitting position from next stage lying down • Later, can walk with support holding • Can turn and reach out hands or pushing baby walker (11-12 • Can roll over and over and may use months) this as first method of moving around Listening and Talking • Will copy adult’s “baby noises” as a • Joins up different sounds and practices game intonation patterns • Joins in a peek-a-boo game and copies • May begin to use words towards the hand clapping end of this stage • Responds to a few words like no, bye • Uses voice to attract attention to bye drink, which are heard frequently objects and events of interest; may also point to them • Can tell strangers at a glance and needs reassurance. Doesn’t smile at everyone now Looking and Doing • Memory developing. Looks for fallen toy even if out of sight • Now pays as much attention to things up to 10 feet away as those close at hand • Is more accurate in reaching out to get something • Picks up small objects between thumb and finger • Can poke and point with fingers separately • Gradually learns to let go of things, first by pressing down on firm surface • Uses objects top and fill containers Learning Independence • Tries to “help” with feeding by grabbing spoon. Can’t fill or lift to mouth yet SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 12-15 Months Physical Development • Sits without support for extensive periods of time • Crawls or bottom shuffles at speed • Can pull self up to stand with support and get down again without falling • Can stand without support. Balance improving • May walk a step towards furniture or hands held out. Gradually takes a few independent steps • Can crawl upstairs Listening and Talking • Understands a variety of words in context • Follows a few simple instructions if helped out by gestures • Recognises some familiar objects and demonstrates their use in play e.g. drinks from an empty cup • • • • Recognises familiar objects in pictures Is gaining new words in pictures Is gaining new words steadily Uses babble conversations and pointing as a major way of communicating Looking and Doing • Throws toys deliberately and watches • Takes objects to mouth less often them fall • May begin to fit objects together • Bangs two objects together and smiles (large peg board or inset puzzle) but at the sound prefers to take them apart • Watches things at a distance more easily Learning Independence • Can drink from a trainer cup • Chews food • Takes socks or mittens off • Holds out arms or legs to help when being dressed SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 15-18 Months Physical Development • Walks alone. Steps are wide and uneven. Holds arms out for balance • Usually stops by falling or sitting down heavily • Can kneel to play • Pushes large toys along to help balance. Can’t steer or avoid obstacles • Climbs into adult chairs • Can bend down to pick things up without losing balance Listening and Talking • Points out things of interest in books • Understands a wider range of simple phrases • Number of words spoken is increasing • Babble and pointing are the main ways of getting the message across Looking and Doing • Throws objects once they have been looked at • Points to objects she wants fetched by an adult • Beginning to fit together objects as well as take them apart • Can fit round and square shapes into holes • Builds towers with a few bricks and enjoys knocking it down again • Makes short straight marks on paper with crayon • Looks at books, turning several pages at a time Learning Independence • Lifts spoon to mouth but cannot prevent spoon turning over • May indicate when nappy is wet or dirty SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 18 – 24 Months Physical Development • Coordination and balance improving when walking • May begin to trot but can’t avoid obstacles • Pulls toys on a string, first when walking backwards watching toy, later forwards with toy following • Walk upstairs, if hand held, bringing second leg onto same step Listening and Talking • Vocabulary increasing rapidly. All words used singly initially • Will intimate words • Tries to join in with familiar nursery rhymes • “No” is a favourite word • Likes to be in company but plays solo Looking and Doing • Recognises familiar faces in photographs • Can match two identical objects • Can twist and turn hands to open doors or unscrew jars • Will look at books longer pointing out details but can’t turn one page at a time • Begins to use one hand by preference • Can scribble round but may go off the page Learning Independence • Remembers where objects belong in the home • Recognises landmarks when out • Imitates adults eg helps with house work • Can take coat off if helped with unfastening • • • • May ask for potty Helps to wash or bath self Can feed self with spoon Drinks from cup and puts down after use SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2 – 2½ Years Physical Development • Can run and avoid obstacles • Kicks at football • Guide small toy on string by deliberate • Picks things up in either hand movements • Can jump • Moves self along on shuffle toy • Can walk up and down stairs using handrail. Both feet onto each step Listening and Talking • May have 50+ words including some • Can now join in nursery rhymes with adjectives such as big or good good recall but not word perfect • Beginning to make sentences of two or • Listens to short stories especially more words favourites • Frequently asked “What’s that?” • Can carry out two linked requests eg “get your coat and give it to me” Looking and Doing • Balances 5-10 bricks to build a tower • Looks at fine details in books and turns pages singly • Can copy a circle and a straight line • Scribble stays on the page • Can string 1” beads on a firm lace • Begins to sort and match similar objects by size, shape and colour Learning Independence • Plays with small dolls and household toys. Play sequences are simple and chatters aloud to self about what is happening • Plays alongside other children and takes a fleeting interest but does not join in • Likes toys which turn and move eg cars, trains • Sits at table to eat • Can take off some clothes eg trousers • Puts on own shoes, hat, coat but cannot fasten SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2½ - 3 Years Physical Development • Tries to catch ball using arms against the body • Can climb on low climbing toys Listening and Talking • Uses sentences of 3-5 words • Vocabulary increasing daily • Both pronunciation and grammar will still be infantile • Asks a lot of questions: who, what, where, type • Knows some songs and rhymes right through • May go through a stuttering phase as ideas run ahead of her • May court to 3 Looking and Doing • Scribbles and paints with large movements • Beginning to match early jigsaws by shape and picture Learning Independence • Beginning to join in play with others briefly • Watches other children playing with interest • Imaginary play is more sustained and has more detail and perhaps a story line • Plans games and collects props in advance SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 3 – 4 Years Physical Development • Pedals a trike and steers corners • Can jump from low height • Can walk on tiptoe • Can climb on and use small slide independently • Catches ball with two hands • Can kick a large ball moving towards her Listening and Talking • Uses short, complete sentences • Most speech is clear with a few infantile sound substitutions (y as in “lellow” for yellow) • Listens to and tells long stories (5 minutes) • Asks when, why and how questions • Talks to self in long monologues. Makes up imaginary characters • May count from 1 to 10 but understanding is usually limited to one, two and three • Begins to understand the idea of past and future • Uses incorrect irregular plurals (eg sheeps) and grammar (goed runned) • May know two or three colours Looking and Doing • Threads ½” beads on a lace • Can match a colour, shape or picture but not distinguish fine detail • Builds and stacks with more precision. Beginning to draw objects and people • Attempts to cut with scissors • Can draw a square • Traces around a template Learning Independence • Likes to help with tidying up • Pretend play has a strong story line and well defined characters • Shared play is now more common than playing alone • Can take turns with a game • • • • Follows rules in games led by an adult Needs no help at mealtimes Can dress herself without help Can lace shoes SUMMARY CHART TO CHILD DEVELOPMENT 4 - 5 Years Physical Development • Can balance on one foot briefly (5 secs) • Can hop • Can bounce and then catch a ball • Can change direction while running • Can climb and descend stairs on alternate feet Listening and Talking • Speech grammatically correct • Some speech sounds not yet mastered (e.g. “s” and “th”) • Gives clear account of own news • Counts to 4 or 5 with understanding • Enjoys simple jokes • Plays with words and sounds, often inventing “silly” language for amusement • May know 4+ colours by name • Can contribute to a conversation keeping to the topic Looking and Doing • By 4 is usually completely right or left • Can copy short sequences of simple shapes or letters. Often misses some handed out or copies them facing the wrong • Plans drawing before beginning. way Content and detail increasing • Plans and builds detailed models from • At 4, draws person with round the imagination head/body and stick limbs. By 5 • Can cut around simple shapes drawings include face, hair, and fingers but still a stick person Learning Independence • Work alone at a chosen task for 20-30 minutes • Can take turns within larger groups of children • Plays with 2-3 children for l5 to 30 minutes on games or projects which have to be planned and negotiated
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