Energetic Play
By setting up an obstacle course in the garden, or taking them to the local park, you can help them to develop physical skills such as:
- A better sense of overall control and balance;
- Judgement of direction, speed and distance;
- Strength and stamina;
- Understanding of spatial relationships as they move around, through, and beside things ;
- And-eye co-ordination as they throw and catch; and
- Confidence in their own skill, strength and judgement.
Small worlds
Organising small-scale train or road layouts, dolls houses or farms, give children the opportunity to:
- Make choices and direct outcomes;
- Plan, organise and take charge;
- Become skilful with their fingers as they manipulate small objects;
- form mathematical concepts of sets as they sort the pigs from the horses in the farm,
or the kitchen furniture from the bedroom furniture in the dolls house;
- Create worlds of their own in which they can act out their present understanding of the real world.
Sounds and music
Children love rhythm, dance and singing,
and helping your child to experiment with songs and rhymes develops many skills, such as:
- listening carefully;
- understanding more about language by hearing and responding; and
- repeating key phrases and anticipating the next line of a well loved song.
You can sing favourite pop songs, nursery rhymes or make up your own tunes.
Gently clapping your child’s hands or moving your knees to the rhythm as they
sit on your lap all adds to their enjoyment. You can also borrow some CDs or DVDs
from the library with actions and songs on.