Learning on the job – matching cognitive and physical skills

Toddlers are curious and their brains are continually developing. You may have noticed your toddler thinks a little more about how they play and that they have a plan in mind. Are they trying to place people in particular places, intentionally building towers or carefully putting a train on its track? This is because their cognitive skills are growing, and they’re starting to think, plan and carry out what they intend to do. 

Your toddler uses a few thought processes when they are playing  

First, they think about what they want to do and then they work out how to achieve it.  

These two steps require a lot of thinking and some of this is done by drawing upon prior knowledge, along with some trial and error. 

So perhaps they want to drive a car through a train tunnel, they know what they want to do and plan how to make it happen.  

Once they’ve decided what they’re doing, they start, or carry on, playing. 

This can sometimes be trickier than it first seems though; there are lots of things to consider, like physical skills and awareness of space 

Their plan might need to be adapted as they go along and they may need to reassess what they are doing in case something unexpected happens.  

They might pick up their car and roll it towards the tunnel. But instead of rolling through it, the car crashes into the tunnel.  

There are many reasons this could happen, like their physical skills not quite matching the control that’s needed to direct the car, misjudging the space/size of the tunnel or the car sliding out of your toddler’s grip. 

They may ask for help by passing you the car, or by saying, “You do it.” 

If you think they can succeed, give them time before you step in so you can see what they were trying to do – it might not always be what you would expect!   

It’s great that your toddler recognises that they need help, but you can promote the development of their thinking skills by encouraging them to consider why things are happening. 

Skills in thinking will take time to master; your toddler wasn’t born with any of the skills they are showing you now, yet they have already come so far in their development.^[1] 

With lots of support and encouragement, their brain will continue to develop, and they will become better at making plans, staying focused and controlling their movements.^[1]  

References: 

[1] Harvard University. What Is Executive Function? And How Does It Relate to Child Development?