The Importance Of Toddler Activities

Toddler activities are all about your toddler playing and they are a vital part of early child development. Researchers believe that through play, brain connections called synapses form and new parts of the brain develop.

Activities for toddlers are very important for the following reasons:

• Power: In playing toddlers do not have to be the small child having to behave. Instead in their own toddler activities they can call the shots, make the rules, make their own choices and be the boss. They can explore different roles.


• Exploration: Through their own activities, children can explore the world. They can explore different textures, colours, combinations, sounds and can be free to be whoever they want to be. They are explorers and detective and their toddler activity and play is a great adventure and opportunity.


• Self-esteem: Playing builds a toddler's confidence and self-esteem. Children tend to play with what comes easily to them e.g. building, painting, kicking a ball, and so by playing what comes easily to them they get better at it and develop as their own skill. By simply playing and having fun toddlers can try things and they don't have to get it right. They are playing and they can try and try in their own ways. This is a part of early child development and toddler activity is crucial for their healthy growth.


• Social Skills: Toddler activities and play develop a child's social skills. Children first play with teddies and dolls and so are in control. Gradually they play alongside other children and then gradually begin to play with other children and in doing so learn to take turns, share, be assertive and caring towards others. However, if children play with their parents a child's social skills are more fully developed and studies have shown that children who have been able to play with their parents socialise better than those that haven't.


• Emotions: Child can reenact their feelings through play. If they are going on holiday they may make a holiday game with their toys. If they've been to hospital they may set up a hospital for their toys and in doing so they are able to play out their feelings, worries, anxieties and reassurances.


• Language Development: Though play and toddler activities toddlers speak differently than they would in a conversation. They might give demands, instructions, say the names of different objects.


• Creativity: Play allows children to stretch their world and this develops their imagination and world of make-believe. This can bring feelings of great excitement, joy and opportunity to a child's world. It's really important that your child has the opportunities to relish in other worlds e.g. pirates, being a bus driver, a pilot, a nurse, a doctor, owning a zoo - anything that your toddler is interested can be explored through the wonderful opportunities of play.


• Physical Development: Play develops your toddler physically for both large and small movements, or fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills will be developed by small movements, such as jigsaws, making pictures with pegs, shape sorters, toys with knobs and buttons to press. Gross motor skills will be developed by running, jumping, kicking a ball, climbing, sliding - any large scale movements.


• Eye-hand co-ordination: your toddler will be developing crucial skills through play so that different parts of their body are working together.


• Concentration: Through play your toddler will develop concentration which is vital for later activities such as reading, playing for longer periods, school and learning.

Toddler activities are absolutely vital for early child development. There are so many fun activities for toddlers. It might take a few minutes to set up and prepare but then your toddler is well away into their own play. You can join in the activity too, for as long as you want - perhaps for the whole activity, or perhaps just for the start of it and then be nearby whilst you get on with what else you need to do.

And then take some time putting it all away and encourage your child to help you too. It's worth the effort and you're helping your child to grow healthily and happily.

If you go on and do something else then be sure to come back and take an interest in how your child is getting on. Enthuse and congratulate them on what they are doing. Children thrive on praise, encouragement, interest and love from their parents - be free with it.