Christmas is coming again. Have you decided to prepare what gifts for your children?
If you haven’t thought it over yet, consider the following options.
1. Building Blocks
How can building blocks be played?
1. 4-8 months
At this stage, babies begin to have the consciousness of grasping voluntarily. They will grasp, feel the texture of building blocks, feel different shapes and colors, and sometimes mischievously tear down various [buildings] built up by adults.
If the baby grabs the building blocks and throws them out, don’t be angry, the baby at this stage just likes to throw things to play. Why don’t you play the game with the baby? Beware of the pain.
2. 8 ~ 12 months
At this stage, the baby already has certain balance ability, sense of space, exercise ability and the ability to do some fine exercises.
You can stack the building blocks one by one. In the process of stacking the building blocks, you can also use building block boxes to help your baby practice taking out and putting back.
At this stage, the baby’s cognitive ability has been further improved and he has begun to understand some simple spatial relationships. Parents can use building blocks to design some spatial games to help the baby understand the spatial relationships between front and back, inside and outside.
Besides playing with building blocks, [seeing] and [feeling] are also important. For example, parents can point to the building blocks that their babies are paying attention to and say:
- Baby, look, this building block is red and that one is yellow. Baby, do the building blocks feel slippery/rough? Baby, this building block is triangular, but you see… it turns out to be rectangular.
3. 1-1.5 years old
At this age, the baby’s sense of space and imitation ability are improving rapidly, and the ability of color recognition is also increasing day by day. Parents can use several colored building blocks to simply build a structure and try to let the baby be the [architect] without disturbing them frequently.
When you are about one and a half years old, you can try to let your baby recognize the color of the building blocks.
4. 1.5-2 years old
With the development of balance ability, sense of space and fine movement ability, the baby should be able to stack more wood blocks and even construct slightly complicated structures.
This will further enhance their balance ability, sense of space and fine movement ability.
5. 2-3 years old
At this stage, the baby’s practical ability and spatial understanding have been significantly improved.
A few building blocks seem to be insufficient to provide [challenges], and the baby has certain ability to challenge some more complicated [building structures], for example, imitating the complicated building blocks piled up by parents.
6. 3-6 years old
At this stage, the children have been able to pile up their own building blocks well, and sometimes they very much hope to share this [building] sense of accomplishment with their parents. Moreover, simple building blocks are not enough to play with at this time. Only more complicated and huge building blocks can enable the children to devote themselves to the [building] cause with great interest.
Second, the ball
How can I play with the ball?
1. 0 ~ 4 months
At this stage, the soft and bright small ball will bring visual and tactile stimulation to the baby.
At this stage, the baby will clench reflexively when touching things, and cannot realize the active grasping action. Therefore, the main function of the ball is to let the baby have a look, touch, feel and feel, and also try to let the baby beat the ball.
Slowly the child will grasp, still waiting for what? Give this magic ball directly with both hands.
2. 4-8 months
The baby will grab the ball and play with it, but at this stage, the baby’s upper limb strength is not very good, and the baby may consciously pick up the ball and throw it away, making a [throwing] action.
Their throwing can be said to have no accuracy or purpose. Babies like to throw, you can pick it up more, don’t be angry about it…
3. 8-12 months
The previous ball may have been a little small. At this time, you can buy a bigger ball for your baby.
With the gradual development of the baby’s athletic ability, the way they handle the ball also begins to change. When the baby makes some interesting and fresh movements on the ball, their athletic ability and balance ability begin to get better development.
4. 1-1.5 years old
After one year old, the baby has been able to grasp and pinch it in a very coordinated way, and the [ball] has successfully advanced to another height.
At this stage, the baby will consciously pick up the ball, then throw it away, and then pick it up again… It’s not that the baby is too naughty, but that he is exploring how to manipulate the ball.
5. 1.5-2 years old
Although babies still like to throw the ball, they also start to [kick] the ball. The rolling and bouncing of the ball is a very interesting phenomenon for them.
Prepare larger balls for children, such as at least 25cm in diameter, which are easier to kick.
This kick and throw, by the way, exercise the baby’s athletic ability.
6. 2-3 years old
At this stage, the baby starts to throw purposefully and will also try to catch the ball thrown by adults.
They will also aim at the target and carry out [firing]. In the process of throwing or kicking the ball, the children’s cerebellum is continuously developing, the body is continuously getting stronger, and their balance and athletic ability are [exploding].
In view of this stage, their upper limbs are not very flexible, so there is no need to worry too much about the ball breaking the neighbor’s window what.
7. 3-6 years old
The development of cerebellum is still very important to children. Throwing, kicking, receiving and throwing, children’s various manipulations of the ball meet the needs of cerebellum development to a certain extent. In case of good weather, take your children to the grass to play ball!
Three, the tumbler
How can tumblers play?
After 4 months, children already have some [autonomy in action], will grasp things by themselves, manipulate things in their own way, and will consciously repeat what they think is interesting.
At this time, the tumbler who pushes down and stands up on his own will just attract the attention of the babies.
The process of operation and observation of tumblers is very beneficial to the development of baby’s cognitive ability. As they grow older, they may not only be satisfied with pushing down and putting down. At this time, they can consider throwing tumblers into the water, allowing tumblers to roll and other ways, so that babies can explore new laws of tumblers.
IV. Picture Books
How can picture books be used?
1. 4-8 months
At this time, the baby’s sensitivity to color is improved. Picture books or cloth books with bright colors and simple lines are filled with a large number of color elements, which can make the baby [addicted to enough eyes].
Compared with [reading], babies are more interested in [tearing books] at this stage, so [tearing books] are more suitable.
Don’t worry that the baby doesn’t understand the content of what in these picture books, because they certainly don’t understand it, and of course they don’t care.
However, this does not prevent parents from reading so many paragraphs for their babies-parent-child interaction is the most important thing.
2. 8 ~ 12 months
At this stage,All kinds of picture books and cloth books with bright colors and simple picture contents,It is not only used as a tool to stimulate the baby’s visual development, but also really becomes [books] and realizes their value as [books].
Babies already have a preliminary understanding of pictures and will have a connection with their surroundings. They hope to get some information from these symbols, but unfortunately, they generally cannot correctly understand the contents of these pictures or words.
At this time, parents can act as narrators, whether they can understand it or not, which is always good for the baby’s language development.
If it is a book, you can give the task of turning over the book to your children to exercise their fine movements.
3. 1-1.5 years old
At this age, the baby’s color recognition ability and graphic recognition ability have improved, and they will easily be interested in color graphics in books.
Moreover, babies in this period like listening to stories very much. If parents can give full play to the charm of language and read stories with obviously changed intonation, it will make it easier for babies to concentrate and have a stronger interest in picture books.
4. 1.5-2 years old
Although babies at this stage have further improved their understanding of graphics, they will also try to connect graphic symbols with the real world, but they still cannot understand too complicated picture books and handle too much information.
Most of the content still needs parents to read it to them. You can use more questions to guide your baby to pay close attention to the development of the plot.
5. 2-3 years old
At this stage, the baby can’t accept too complicated text content. Picture books need to enable the baby to read and have the opportunity to [look at pictures and talk], preferably simple and easy-to-understand content.
If the baby’s understanding is wrong, parents can point it out at the right time and tell them how to understand it.
However, we must pay attention to the words and don’t make them look like debating competitions, which will attack the enthusiasm of children.
6. 3-6 years old
At the age of three or so, children’s reading ability is strengthened, but attention is a problem at this stage.
They tend to “browse quickly” rather than settle down and ponder bit by bit. Therefore, it is very important to have the right books: the content can be slightly complicated, but the pictures should be attractive enough, the amount of words should be moderate, and parents’ patient explanation will be even more essential.
Five, Ringing the Bell with Hands & Rattle
How can I play the rattle/rattle?
Hand ringing (rattle) is standard for newborn babies, one in each hand or even one in each hand.
When parents shake these colorful ringing bells or rattle drums, the crisp and melodious sounds slip into the ears of these little guys.
The baby will look for the source of the sound. Although at this time, there is only a blur in front of their eyes, but their eyes will also be tightly fixed on the object that makes the sound.
When playing with the baby, you can move the rattle/hand bell while shaking to train the baby to follow the sound source.
The brightly colored hand bell can also be shaken in front of the baby’s face to let the baby see that it is an object that makes the sound.
Six, laying eggs of yellow duck
How can the egg-laying yellow duck play?
In the months when the baby still has the interest of [climbing] and is not in such a hurry to stand up, the baby must climb fully and purely.
[Gaga] The yelling and running egg-laying yellow duck undoubtedly provides great fun for the baby’s crawling.
Especially when the baby has the ability to accurately put [duck eggs] on the yellow duck, this also means that the baby’s balance ability and hand-eye coordination ability have made a qualitative leap.
In addition to ensuring cleanliness and hygiene, the space allowed for babies to climb must be well protected to ensure that there are no articles that are easy to dump or fall, no sharp edges and corners of the facade, and no dangerous height drop, or sharp scattered objects or garbage that are easy to hurt.
Seven, jigsaw puzzle & jigsaw puzzle
Jigsaw puzzle-how can a jigsaw puzzle be played?
1. 1-1.5 years old
With the gradual strengthening of the baby’s sense of space, the baby can try to spell out different shapes with jigsaw puzzles. Parents can also try to guide the child to create more and more complicated object relationship structures and let the baby try it himself.
Doing so can improve spatial cognition and fine exercise ability, but the key point is to let the baby do it himself.
2. 1.5-2 years old
Children rely on their fine exercise ability to pinch the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle and put them in the right place. In fact, this is a very complicated exercise.
This involves the child’s brain and hands, which is helpful for the child to exercise the overall space consciousness.
3. 2-3 years old
Identification, splicing, combination, jigsaw puzzle and jigsaw puzzle belong to this seemingly extremely simple but contain infinite possibilities of toys.
Babies can play their various unconstrained imagination on jigsaw puzzles and splice various figures. When playing jigsaw puzzles, besides imagination, it is also important to have fine movement ability (pick up the jigsaw puzzles, put them in the position where the eyes are looking, and straighten them out).
While playing jigsaw puzzle or completing jigsaw puzzle, the baby’s fine movement ability, spatial understanding and color recognition ability will be well developed.
4. 3-6 years old
As children get older, simple jigsaw puzzles are too easy for them. If such games are loved by children, prepare more sets of different ones.
If you always work hard on the same puzzle, of course you will be bored.
Eight, plasticine
How can plasticine be played?
1. 1-1.5 years old
At this stage, there is no need for too high-grade colored mud, as long as there is something for children to knead.
This ever-changing toy can fully exercise the baby’s spatial perception, imagination and color recognition, and can also make the baby’s fine movements develop. Don’t be in a hurry to expect him to make what’s masterpiece, he is just making it.
In addition, parents must do a good job of supervision and be careful that the baby swallows his [artwork].
2. 1.5-2 years old
Formal and safe plasticine is a good toy for babies.
As a small [sculptor], he will use his imagination to complete his own [artwork]. Maybe we can’t see whether what he has created is a what thing, but at the very least, it already expresses the baby’s understanding of a part of the world.
3. 2-6 years old
With the continuous enhancement of the baby’s practical ability, more and more things can be done, and the interest in this highly plastic toy is also increasing.
At this time, a simple group can no longer satisfy the child’s curiosity. Parents can provide some [Gao Da Shang] colored mud with moulds to help the baby create more shapes.
9. Plug-in Toys
How can I play with a spelling toy?
1. 1-1.5 years old
It seems very simple to put the right things in the right place, but for the baby, it is a great challenge to coordination and fine movement ability.
There are many styles of spelling toys. Babies are suitable for relatively large parts, simple shapes and a small number of sockets with obvious shape distinction that are not easy to swallow.
At first, the baby may always be unable to get into the right position, but don’t worry, don’t play for the baby, don’t let the baby lose the confidence to continue working hard.
2. 1.5-2 years old
With the strengthening of the baby’s spatial perception and the further development of fine movements, parents can consider providing their children with small pieces and more sockets to play with.
There is no need to interfere too much with children’s playing methods, but adults can use a few small pieces of parts to make a demonstration nearby to guide children to exert their creativity.
3. 2-3 years old
At this stage, children have the ability to simulate some real objects to use their imagination to build them, but the shapes may not be so similar.
Parents don’t have to correct it in a hurry and do it more like this for their children. Instead, they can guide their children, such as this:
- The bunny has what characteristics, huh? Do you have long ears, round head and big tail? Ha ha! Yes, Dad was wrong. It was a short tail. Where are the long ears of this little rabbit? Oh, it turns out that the ears are drooping. How about we help the bunny to prick up his ears?
4. 3-6 years old
If the child really loves to insert toys, multi-shaped building blocks, flakes and no drawings, I’m afraid he can no longer be satisfied.
Like building blocks, [architecture] can train children’s attention, spatial imagination and fine movement development. The advantage of plug-in toys is that no matter how high they are built, the building will not fall down at once.
Children at this stage do not need you to play with them. However, if you can take the initiative to accompany and guide children to express their ideas and give concrete affirmation and admiration to children’s works, this will be one of the best childhood memories of children.
10. Dolls
How can dolls be played?
1. 2-3 years old
Pretend games such as [playing house] not only contribute to children’s cognitive, emotional and social development, but also promote the development of various psychological abilities, including attention, memory, imagination, logical thinking, language and literacy, creativity, control over one’s own behavior and the ability to adopt other people’s views, and promote reflection on one’s own thinking.
At this stage, babies begin to try to use more characters, more complicated scripts, make more [social] behaviors, and substitute themselves into an illusory and real game. Don’t interrupt children because they feel childish, but try to cater to their thoughts and accompany them [pretend].
This is extremely important for children’s emotional intelligence development.
2. 3-6 years old
As they grow up, the children’s dolls are almost in a row, aren’t they?
At the right time, children will enjoy being the [platoon leader] themselves, designing characters and plots for dolls. This is a relatively high-end [fake game], which has a definite role in promoting children’s various mental development.
Eleven, stroller
How can I play with the stroller?
1. 2-3 years old
At this stage, the baby’s lower limb strength has been strengthened. With the help of his parents, he can try to move his legs and make the [car] move through his own efforts. This kind of exercise and the sense of accomplishment brought by it are incomparable to electric cars.
2. 3-6 years old
With the growth of children’s strength, three-year-old children should be able to ride tricycles with little effort.
In the process of cycling, children’s muscles can be fully exercised and their balance can be enhanced. When they are about five years old, they can consider changing to a bicycle with auxiliary wheels.
12. Chess
How can I play chess?
After the baby is three years old, checkers, gobang, flying chess, chess, go, military chess… all kinds of chess can be bought to play with the child.
At this stage, the child’s corpus callosum development speed reaches the peak of life, which is popularly explained as the connection between the left and right hemispheres of the brain is at the closest stage.
Playing chess is a complex behavior, and there are many cognitive elements that need to be involved, including perception, attention, memory, language and problem solving.
In this complicated process, the interconnection and cooperation between the two brains will be promoted and the children will be smarter in the future.
If you didn’t have a chance before, learn one or more chess games secretly now, and then play with your children!