Tiny toys, big messes. How to handle the chaos caused by small toys and games
As a parent there is a very definite sense of dread which can emerge when you see a toy with lots of little parts, or just lots of little toys! It can feel much easier to try and avoid having them out, or only allowing them to be played with in very short bursts, but it might help you breathe through the mess to know how brilliant they can be for your child’s fine motor development.
When children play with small, intricate toys, they really begin to challenge their fine motor dexterity and hand-eye coordination. Now your child is a little older, they might be becoming very intrigued by this sort of play as they grow more able to move and organise the small parts of miniature toys.
Harnessing your child’s interests is the most powerful way to inspire their learning
Children are far more likely to engage in activities that are linked to something that interests them. And this can be used to your advantage, especially when you’re trying to encourage them to learn a skill they've not seemed very bothered about so far.
This might be anything, but one of the questions we are most often asked by parents is how to get children interested in writing when they simply don’t want to hold a pencil or learn about letters.
Do you know how important your child’s thumbs are?
Thumbs are the smallest digit on our hand, but they have the most muscles and – due to the unique formation of the joint that connects it to our palm – it can move in a wider range of directions than any other finger or toe. But why should you care about this, and why is it so important for your child to develop their thumb movements?
As humans, we have opposable thumbs, meaning that they can rotate and pivot (move around a fixed point) – it’s called ‘opposable’ because this movement allows your thumb to be moved to be ‘opposite’ your other fingers. This allows us to be far more mobile in our hands than we would if our thumb was ‘fixed’ in one position.
Should you know by now if your child is left- or right-handed?
A person’s preference for using either their left or right hand is known as hand dominance. Your child’s left or right ‘handedness’ is in its very early stage of development, and while they may start to show more use of one side over the other, it’s unlikely to be consistent at this stage.
Spotting which hand they are showing a preference for...
Get cooking: why not try this simple biscuit recipe?
We often feel the need to take over and help to get the perfect biscuits. But it's not the final biscuit that is important here, it's the process of making the biscuits.
The benefits of curiosity: how answering your child's endless questions will unlock their potential
It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by questions from your child, even though you know they must be making themselves ask for a reason. Understanding why questions are so brilliant for learning, and how best to answer them, can help make the stream of whats, whys and wheres feel a little more manageable.
As they discover more of the world around them, children become increasingly able to analyse and categorise the things they see and retain this information in their brain as learnt experiences.
Just a scribble? Why your toddler’s early marks are important and three ways to encourage them
Your toddler might be eager to draw, or be more interested in making lines and circles with their finger or a stick in soap, food or mud. When you’re given a piece of paper with their various colourful lines and squiggles you might find it hard to be enthusiastic – but these early marks are an important step towards writing and drawing.
Why are first marks important?
Making links - sharing books and learning about the world
Books are wonderful for exploring the world and everything within it. Most will feature something relatable for your toddler, whether it be the grass, sun or an animal.
Others will offer new and unfamiliar things – the chance to discover foods, places, people, types of transport and emotions.
Are you ready..? What your baby learns from anticipation and excitement in songs and games
It’s no surprise for parents that babies love to play peek-a-boo or hear rhymes with a big reveal at the end, both of which often result in those addictive baby giggles. These games and rhymes with predictable actions are supporting their development while they play.
While they enjoy the predictable actions and sense of anticipation, your baby is also learning about lots of social skills, such as turn-taking, waiting and understanding social cues, language and facial expression. By experiencing these silly, playful moments with you from this very young age, they are building connections and developing expectations which will be helpful as they grow and begin to interact with others.
Your baby will learn from traditional favourites or from your very own giggle game
Your baby will enjoy any games or rhymes with a familiar and predictable sequence of actions. As they begin to anticipate what is going to happen next, you can pause and give them time to enjoy the excitement of waiting for the next step!
Blankets, bears and bye-bye – what are transitional objects and why should you value them as much as your child does?
Does your child have a toy or object that has to go everywhere with them? We’ve met children with attachments to blankets, soft toys and even kitchen utensils and vegetables. Not all children have these objects, and researchers suggest that the reason for this is a combination of nature and nurture. For example, they found attachment objects were more common among children who slept in their own room from being babies.[1] Whether or not your child has a favourite that travels with them at the moment, you might find it useful to learn more about what 'transitional objects’ are and how they can be useful for coping with change as your child grows
The term ‘transitional object’ was introduced by paediatrician and psychoanalyst Donald Winnicott in 1951, to describe the blankets, bits of fabric and toys that children became deeply attached to early in childhood. Winnicott suggested these objects supported children as they developed their sense of themselves as a separate individual, rather than as linked to their mother as one unit.[2]
