Why play matters?  

Play is a significantly important part of your child’s development. Most of your toddler’s learning is done through play. 

Through play your child develops social skills, enhances their imagination, learns coordination, develops movement control, and role models everyday events that help them form a sense of their own identity and the world around them. 

Play is scheduled into all early years and pre-school settings due to the benefits it provides to children. 

Providing opportunities for your child to play are essential, here are some examples of how you can support your child’s development through play. 
 

Allow your child the freedom to choose what they would like to play with; some children like to have guidance; some like to discover things for themselves. 

Set out toys and activities to allow your child this freedom of play. During the toddler years, all learning is done through exploration. As parents and carers, we can facilitate their learning or notice where they may need support in understanding the next process of play, but do not feel it needs to be structured.

Young children do not always play together, but can often play in parallel. They might acknowledge that there are other children playing alongside them and sometimes they may play with the same toys, but not directly together, this is normal and forms part of your child's understanding of social interaction. They will gradually mature to playing with other children and interact in the same activities. 

When buying toys always stay within recommended age groups as they are designed to consider smaller motor skills (using small muscles, smaller movements with the hands, wrists and fingers) and the bigger motor skills (involves using large muscles in the torso - tummy area, arms and legs).
 

At this age toddlers enjoy exploring. They're identifying all the objects and shapes around them, paying interest into sizes, shapes and textures. 

You might find your toddler tries to empty out your kitchen cupboards and fill them up with objects from around the house. 

Toys such as puzzles, shape fillers and household objects e.g. pots and pans, that can be banged together are often appealing. 

Tips of toys for ages 1-2 years old

  • Try to find puzzles and toys that are a colour or character that your child favours, this will help to engage them in the activities. 
  • Consider the design of toys. A one year old may need shapes that have an additional part of the puzzle to enable them to grab. 
  • Allow them to have a go at solving the problems with toys before showing them, giving them space to problem solve.
  • Songs, stories and nursery rhymes are excellent at this age for repetition and teaching your child sequence and what comes next. 
  • There may be a favourite toy your child likes to press over and over. Don’t discourage this, as it's allowing them to learn language skills.
  • Rotate your child’s toys every few days to keep them stimulated and trying new activities.
  • Not all toys need to be expensive and top of the range. Plastic bottles, pots and pans can be useful for sound making.  
  • Toddlers of this age like to fill and empty items, bath time can be a good time to incorporate this kind of play, using empty bottles or cups at bath time enables them to do this. 
  • A favourite game is also making towers by building and stacking cushions, books and blocks.

Messy play for 1-2 year olds 

Don't be put off by getting messy at this age. Allowing your child to be creative and using paint or drawing with crayons can be a positive way of enhancing their development. Speak to your local health visitor to see if they're aware of any ‘messy play’ groups. 

At home, if your child is supervised, you can create sensory play using dried pasta, paints, mud in the garden, hay bales in the farm fields or bubble bath trays. 

Creating a messy floor space for them to get creative can create some lovely memorable art, encourage family bonding and enhance your child’s development. Once you’ve finished playing, your child can be popped straight into the bath for more water fun whilst getting clean.

Be mindful of toddlers putting things in their mouths and ensure no toy or food is hot, raw or of a round airway size that could cause choking. 
 

Reading to your child is a great way to get their imaginations growing; using a story sack (a bag with different objects inside that relate to the story you are reading) can be a good way to improvise. Making up stories and getting them to get involved telling the story is great fun and good for development. Messy and creative play enriches your child’s imagination. 

Tips for play for ages 2-3 years old

  • Use things from around the house such as potatoes to make a stamp. Find different objects that can be covered in paint and stamped onto paper. 
  • Using chalk outdoors (easily washes away).
  • Make a little washing up bowl for your child to clean down their toys outside, or for them to bathe or swim their favourite characters in. 
  • Paint brushes and a pot of water to do mark-making outdoors. 
  • Collect sticks, twigs, leaves and cardboard to make a bug hotel. 
  • Children love building. Make dens, cars, rockets and castles from sheets, sofa cushions and blankets. 
  • Find your inner child and role play, teach them how to use their imagination. This could be pretending to be the king of a castle, an explorer in the woods or a mummy looking after their babies, take the teddy bears/dolls in the car and pop the seat belt on them and make a little snack for your child to offer his or her ‘baby’.
  • Pop on some walking shoes or wellies and jump into puddles, squelch through mud and crunch the leaves, encouraging your child to take in the walk with all their senses. Ask, “What can you hear, smell and see?”. This is a good way to support your child into living in the moment and developing mindfulness techniques that could help them as they grow older when faced with stressful experiences.
  • You can use a bed sheet as a parachute to play games. 
  • The Change4Life website has short 10 minute shake up activities that keep your child active and have lots of fun playing. 

Sensory play is great for a child with special needs. Music, lights, sounds, textures all stimulate and interact, supporting their development.

Tips for play for children with special needs

  • Toys for children with special needs should match their developmental age and ability. If your child is using a toy intended for a younger age group, make sure that it's strong enough and won't get broken.
  • Children with a visual impairment will need toys with different textures to explore with their hands and mouth. 
  • Children with a hearing impairment will need toys to stimulate language, such as puzzles that involve matching finger-spelled letters to appropriate pictures, toys and activities that look appealing and inviting to play with.