As a parent of a young child, you play a crucial role in supporting the development of their gross motor skills. Gross motor skills involve the control and coordination of large muscle groups, enabling movements like crawling, walking, running, jumping, and playing sports. These skills form the foundation for your child’s physical abilities and overall …
How long until it’s my turn? I’ve already brushed my teeth! I did it for ages! I won’t do it again! But what if you had a sand timer? It’s your turn when the sand gets to the bottom. Brush your teeth until the timer runs out. Time is abstract. It’s difficult for children to …
In a recent survey I asked you, our readers, if you would like help choosing toys. The response was overwhelming so here is the first instalment. Unexpectedly, given that we sold so many wooden toys, by far the most requested review was… Magnetic tiles Over the years, we have had many different magnetic tiles in …
Once upon a time we sold toys. They were happy days. But our first love was play. Play in all its forms: structured and unstructured, independent and co-operative. Following the success of our courses, Get Set Five and A Year With My Child, we decided it was time for a change of focus. People loved …
Does your child love to play in the dirt? If so, a mud kitchen might be the perfect addition to your outdoor space. A mud kitchen is an outdoor play station that allows children to engage with nature while fostering creativity, learning, and motor skills. This guide will walk you through the process of making …
Does your child have a corner all to herself where she can go and write? She may only be a toddler whose mark-making consists of little more than a few horizontal sweeps of a chunky crayon. Or she may be a confident seven-year-old, writing stories and and cards, joining letters with confidence and precision. It …
Light is eternally fascinating to young children and most enjoy watching it move and dance, grow brighter or change colour. A torch at the ready (loaded with working batteries) is a simple way to introduce light play. Use it under your chin in the dark to make funny faces, or behind a sheet to make …
Streamers are always fun. But did you know they’re also excellent practice for learning to write? The circular, vertical and zigzag movements they encourage are early forms of the loops, ascenders and descenders of writing. With all movements, we must first learn the gross (big) before progressing to the fine (small). Making circles with the arms comes …
Lotto is one of the best games to play with a pre-schooler. It encourages attention, teaches turn-taking and improves visual discrimination. It’s also a great way to reinforce learning, as new knowledge is more easily memorised during play. Letter sounds, colours, objects, words, numbers and more all come into a game of lotto. To play Alphabet Lotto: 1. …
For an interesting variation on traditional building blocks, try making your own using natural materials. To do this you’ll need branches of varying sizes. Remember you’ll be cutting through these so don’t choose anything too thick. Pieces of bark are also very useful and don’t forget to include conkers and pine cones as these make …