Can toy rotation work for you? A deeper look into this popular concept
The subject of toy rotation comes up quite a lot in social media and during day-to-day conversations. It’s a concept that works well for some and not for others. We thought we’d take a look at exactly what it means, why people do it and some easy ways it can be achieved if you want to give it a go.
Where did the idea originate from?
Your name is on the tip of my tongue – why can’t I remember it?
You’re walking down the street when you spot someone familiar; as you get closer, you desperately try to think of their name. Your brain is filled with information about them, just not the detail you need and, worst of all, they remember your name. We’ve all been there, and you might feel it's happening more often since you became a parent – with a brain full of other things to remember and organise.
Forgetting people’s names is a common mistake,[1] not that this makes us feel any better about it. But why does the name of a person escape us just as we need to access it? And is there anything you can do to make it less likely you’ll forget the name of the nice lady at the baby group (again)?
Oral exploration – how your baby’s mouth is their key to learning
Babies learn about the world through their mouths. Those little movements from their mouth, lips, and tongue will help them explore and make connections that will support their development as they grow.
Let's take a look at some of the things your baby learns about as they move their very busy mouths:
Why does my child never sit still?
Your child is developing control of their position, posture and balance all the time. They are also gaining more awareness of their body and can make judgements about the position of their body – you’ll see them make small adjustments as they sit.
Despite all this amazing development, you might notice that your child moves a lot when they are sitting and perhaps they are not still for very long at all!
Mental representations and understanding what other people can see
Your child uses their senses to understand the world around them. Processing information from their senses has helped them to form ‘mental representations’ of familiar objects. This means that they can think about an object and also think about parts of the object that they cannot see.
Your child’s mental representations help them to think about what other people can see too. You might notice your child understands this when they turn a picture round to show it to you.
Pointing out patterns is part of progress!
When you think of patterns you probably think about a visual image, perhaps artwork, or something you would see on a rug or set of curtains, but in fact we are surrounded by patterns of all kinds. Understanding patterns and sequences allows you to predict what might happen next or know what to do in order to get to a final goal. It helps us to count, to organise our day, to take turns and much more.
One study published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology[1] has reinforced the idea that understanding repeating patterns can help children’s maths knowledge by showing that for children aged 4-6 years, those whose knowledge of repeating patterns was stronger at the start of kindergarten went on to have better broad maths, and general numeracy, knowledge at the end of kindergarten.
Sometimes comparison is important... and that’s when you’re talking maths!
One of the ways you might notice your child comparing items, and so learning about the world around them, is by seeing them adjust their plans based on the weight or size of items. You might notice it when they choose to pick up the lighter box of blocks, or place a light item on top of the bridge they build instead of a heavy one. You can help them to distinguish the differences between items by talking about them in more than one way.
It’s quite natural to point out measurements your child is noticing, like when one tower is taller than the other, but did you know that a simple way for you to help them process this information is to also say the opposite statement? So in this case you might say that the yellow tower is taller, and the blue tower is shorter.
“Look, that’s my name!” How understanding symbols helps your child notice important letters
As children’s cognitive development progresses, they start to be able to enjoy symbolic play, as they can understand that what they see is representing something else. Although it might not seem closely linked to learning about the alphabet, developing an understanding of symbolism is in fact an important step towards being able to read and write in the future. Here’s why.
Your child might have started out understanding symbols using physical items which can be held and moved, perhaps by holding a toy brick to their ear as a phone. As their understanding of symbolism grows, they will be able to make more abstract links like realising that the numbers on a clock are showing adults what the time is and that the squiggles on a page which we call letters represent sounds, and even words.
Learning through stories – our top three books to help your child think about colour
Have you noticed that your child is becoming more thoughtful about the colours they use when they draw, paint or make artwork? We love to see the emerging ideas and preferences that can be seen, or talked about, as they pick the colours they most want to use.
One way to start a conversation about colour, and what it might mean to you, is through stories and there is no shortage of books which explore colour in interesting ways. Here are three of our favourites.
Music and memories – why is the link so strong?
Many of us have songs we associate with specific moments, people and places. Your child may be beginning to create these connections as well, and they may soon have a collection of songs that they relate to parts of their lives.
We often find comfort in music, and it's great for bringing people together
