Your child learns about his environment by exploring the things around him. By playing with objects he finds out what they are, how they work and what to do with them. While learning all about the objects he encounters your child also has the opportunity for social interaction with other people (Smiling, talking, looking at each other, sharing things etc) and for expressing his needs and feelings.
- Encourage your child to explore different things in the world around him. To look at them, touch them, hold them, smell them and listen to the sounds they make, e.g. keys, boxes, rattles, paper, water, feathers etc. Show your child what they can do with each one e.g. splashing with water in the bath, rattnlig keys, tickling with feathers and encourage them to try blowing bubbles.
- Encourage your child to look for things when they have disappeared from view. Do this by:-
- Playing “jack in a box” – you may have one already, if not, make your own with a doll, teddy or hand puppet and a cardboard box with a lid. Cut a hole in the bottom of the box and hide the doll inside with the lid shut. Let the doll spring up to surprise your child, and then hide him again in the box. Counting and encouraging your child to look at the box will help keep his interests while the toy is hiding “1-2-3- boo” (Jack jumps up)
- Hide a small toy in your hand and then open your hand to show your child the toy. As your child learns to recognise where the toy is make the game harder by using both hands and hiding the toy in a different hand each time. Open the empty one first and then the one with the toy in.
- Encourage your child to copy simple activities e.g. clapping hands, shaking a toy, waving bye – bye.
- Encourage your child to use objects appropriately e.g. brush his hair with a brush, drink out of a cup, push a car and go brmb, brmm etc
- Encourage your child to put one object on or in another e.g. one brick on another, a spoon in a cup etc.
- Show your child how to copy everyday activities e.g. feeding dolly,brushing floor, washing clothes, reading a book etc.
- Play alongside your child with the same kind of toys and talk about what you are doing. Encourage your child to copy some of your actions with his own toys.
- Help your child learn how to play with imaginary toys. E.g. pick a sweet out of an empty tin and pretend to eat it, give one to your child to eat too. Stir your cup with a pretend spoon. Encourage your child to copy.
- Encourage your child to imagine that one object can be used instead of another in play. E.g. a box could be a bed for a doll; a cup could be a doll’s hat
- Encourage your child to play in a sequence of events. Join in the play activity and suggest what might happen next, e.g. dolly’s hungry, she wants to have dinner. What does she need to get dinner?