INDUSTRY INSIGHT
PARENTING
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True Toys and Their Positive Effects on Children
True toys have no bells or whistles , they do not do anything and you do not turn them on . Most toys today have taken the fun out of imaginative play . Manipulating toys and giving them life develops reasoning and problem-solving skills as well as creates a base of simple knowledge of how things work .
INFANTS
Rattles – Fine motor development toy of the century . Grasping , repetitive motion that creates a desired outcome , music , hand-eye coordination and focusing visually on a moving object are all part of infant learning . Have rattles handy in a variety of colors , shapes , sizes and sounds .
ONE-YEAR-OLDS Blocks , blocks and more blocks – Spatial relationships , size and shape discrimination leads to early math skills , fine motor control as well as cause and effect . This true toy is fun at any age ! A child may spend hours building and knocking down blocks while developing science skills including balance , gravity and concepts of weight .
FOUR- TO FIVE-YEAR-OLDS Dramatic Play – Dramatic play is more than dress-up . It is a shovel , a whisk , a pad of paper . It is a pile of dirt , an old tire and a cardboard box . The sky is the limit – if your children have seen it , they want to explore it . Cut the cord off an old landline telephone and let them look inside as the telephone repair man . True toys for a four year old are simply real life items . These toys will allow children to try on new personalities and play out roles .
RESEARCHERS SAY LEARNING THROUGH PLAY IS THE ONLY WAY .
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TWO-YEAR-OLDS
Paint and play-dough – It is messy and that is why they like it so much . This tactile experience will open the doors of creativity and thinking . Let them mix the colors , use different tools and add to the experience by playing some music in the background . Finger paint , paintbrushes and textured paint can be mixed with a variety of painting surfaces for further explanation .
THREE-YEAR-OLDS
A ball – Look at everything you can do with a ball – kick it , catch it , sit on it , bounce it , dribble it , play alone or with someone . A ball develops gross motor skills , hand-eye coordination and encourages healthy practices . A child needs to learn to handle a ball before they can handle a pencil .
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP • 724-778-9999 PITTSBURGH ( DOWNTOWN ) • 412-515-1997
GoddardSchool . com
This Industry Insight was written by Dina & Matt Speranza . They are the owners of The Goddard School ® located at 8065 Rowan Road in Cranberry . Goddard offers both full- and part-time infant / preschool / kindergarten programs . For more information , visit www . goddardschool . com or call 724.778.9999 .
* Offer valid for new Goddard families at the above location only . Some program restrictions apply . Not valid with any other offer . The Goddard Schools are operated by independent franchisees under a license agreement with Goddard Systems , Inc . Programs and ages may vary . Goddard Systems , Inc . program is AdvancED accredited . © Goddard Systems Inc . 2016 .
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