Early Childhood Development

Child Development Through Play

Your child needs to play to learn about the world. Your child also needs to look at, feel, taste, smell and hear different things. Your child needs to move around. A child's experiences with toys and objects help them begin to learn how things work, and that things have different shapes, colors and textures.

Sensory stimulation and play are crucial to early child development A child needs you to help stimulate their seven senses, and help them discover and find things out. The sensory play activities you introduce to your child helps their brain grow and expand. Sensory activities can happen in a natural way, and can be as simple as shaking a noise making toy (hearing); it happens when you show a child how to reach for a soft toy and feel it's texture; it happens when you give food to (taste); it happens when you introduce your child to different smells; it happens when you show your child different colors, or shapes (sight); it happens when you rub and gently push and pull their arms and legs (proprioception-joint compression); it happens when you balance your child on your lap (vestibular-balance); the seven senses are being stimulated; it happens when you repeat a sound your child has made back to them (speech); it happens when you respond to a child?s smile by smiling back (communication); it happens when you introduce different relatives to your child (social development).

Give Safe Toys to Your Child Do not give a child toys that they can choke on. Make sure toys do not have small, detachable parts like buttons or loose pieces of material. These things can become more weakly attached over time and become a choking hazard. Toys or items small enough to place in a child's mouth are not safe. Toys with strings or ties can cause problems. Small children can get tangled in mobiles that are hung too close to them.

Babies and small children put things into their mouths. So it is important to make sure all toys you give your child are safe. Here are a few things to look for when choosing toys:

? Make sure toys that you buy for your child are labeled ?non-toxic.? ? Toys should have no sharp edges or points. ? Inspect toys often to make sure there are no loose parts. Older toys may break and have sharp edges. ? Make sure small toys, such as squeak toys, rattles and teethers, are large enough so that your child can?t put the whole toy in their mouth. Smaller toys can get stuck in your child?s throat. ? Don?t give your child toys with strings or ribbons. If you have toys like this, just remove the strings. ? Don?t hang toys or a pacifier around your child?s neck. ? Don?t give your child toys that have small parts. The parts can come off and they could choke on them. Check for small parts such as buttons and eyes that are glued on. ? Don?t give a child toys with beads that can be pulled off. Toys that are stuffed with small pellets can come apart, and a child could choke on the pellets. ? Don?t let your child play with a plastic bag. A child can suffocate if the bag is put over their heads. ? Don?t give your child balloons to play with. The balloon can break and create a choking hazard. ? Don?t let your child play with plastic wrapping from toys or other items. ? Older children should be told not to use loud toys around a small child. Such loud noises can damage their hearing.

Interacting and Playing It is important to make time to play with your child. How they understand the world comes from playing with other people. Two of a child's best playmates are their parents. Here are some tips for playing with your child:

? Read books and sing nursery rhymes or songs to your child. Do things over and over again with your child. Children learn by playing the same games or listening to the same books many times. ? Dance to music. Hold your child firmly in your arms or in a child carrier and dance to music you both like. ? Hold your face close to your child's. Copy your child?s actions and sounds. Laugh with your child. ? Your child is interested in their hands and feet; you can feel their fingers and toes while you talk or sing to them.

Stimulating Your Child With Toys A child learns from playing and likes to discover each toy just to get the feel of it. A child likes to take a toy and twist it; shake it; suck on it, and bang it against other things.

Here are a few things that will help a child discover the world around them:

? Give your child a roly-poly toy that comes back up when it is knocked over. ? Put pictures in a child's crib or carriage. Make sure the pictures are out of their reach. Hang something bright on the wall of their bedroom. ? Give a child teething rings and plastic toys that are clean. Make sure their toys cannot be broken. Make sure they have no pieces that can come off. ? Give your child things of different sizes and textures (square, round, hard, soft, fuzzy, long, short, and sticky).The toys should all be made of safe materials, because your child will put them into their mouth. Make sure they are too large for your child to swallow or choke on them. ? Give children a toy that is brightly colored like red or green. ? Give a child toys that make a noise like a squeaky stuffed animal, or a ball with bells inside. ? Let a child play with toys that make music. Make sure the toys are safe for a child to play with or put in their mouth.

Sometimes children are very happy playing with safe things that are not toys, like pots and pans; cardboard boxes, cushions, blankets and other household items. The main thing to remember about child development through play is that it should be fun for the child, and help their early child development by feeding the seven senses.

Paul Mackie The Child Development Guy.

Paul Mackie The Child Development Guy is a professional Early Childhood Educator. http://www.childdevelopmentfromyears1-4.com http://www.storybooksthatteach.com http://www.educationalchildsplay.com