Young children are like tiny sponges, absorbing and picking cues from what they see and who they meet. As their cognitive and physical skills are developing, it is great to interact with them through pretend play, visual stories and flash cards.
As parents, you certainly want your child to learn while having fun. Of course, keeping the little bundles of energy engaged can be a task. So, in this blog, we will help you out with some engaging games to keep them happy and learning.
Interesting Games for Toddlers for Enhanced Development
Here are a few fascinating games that can help the little ones learn and develop their skills optimally.
Pour The Sand
Get two cups, a spoon and a solid (sand) or a liquid (water) that can be poured easily. Fill one cup with the sand. Now, scoop out a spoonful of sand into the other cup. Once you see the child getting intrigued, encourage him to take his turn and then pour it all back! These simple yet engaging games for toddlers help develop concentration, motor skills and eye-hand coordination. Further, the child also learns to wait and turn-taking in a fun way.
Find The Animals
Fill a small bucket or a basin with flour or sand. Ask your toddler to hide his tiny animal figures in the bucket. Ensure there is one for each alphabet, preferably in varied colours. Next, you pull out an animal and name it aloud. Let your child take his turn and prompt him, if necessary. A fun game to learn language, and identify and sharpen those fine motor skills.
Catchy Flash Card
Skillmatics has some great engaging games for toddlers. Check out their Flash Cards For Toddlers. These catchy, beautiful cards have shapes, colours, letters and numbers printed. The set includes 3 activities which parents can play with their children and keep them fascinated. Help them learn alphabet, colours, learn the basics of phonics in a super fun way.
There are a plethora of games that parents can create or play with their children. In the process of play, there is direct and indirect learning for the child. But what are some of the ways in which games augment a child’s development? Let’s find out the benefits of engaging games for toddlers.
How do Games help Boost Toddler’s Development?
As the young, eager beaver grows, so does his mind. The right stimulus in the formative years goes a long way in developing the right skills. Here are reasons why games are important in the formative years:
Social skills development
While playing with others, children learn critical skills like self-expression, turn-taking and patience. They also learn to pick social cues from expressions, voice modulation and gestures and learn how to process their feelings.
Superior Cognitive skills
Memory games like flashcards, or I-Spy can encourage a child’s memory and concentration. A child exposed to age-appropriate concepts is likely to have enhanced learning and problem-solving abilities. As the kid is growing quickly, newer pathways to learning are developing in his mind, hence blocks, puzzles and reading are great.
Social and Emotional Well-being
Make-believe play or pretend play and supervised play dates give toddlers the opportunity to play with peers. Through shared toys, pretend tea parties, and building blocks, kids learn to interact and become confident. They also learn to be resilient in challenging situations and keep their emotions in check.
Physical Abilities and Fine Motor Skills
Kids are naturally active, but through games, one can channelise their energy towards the right areas. Agility and balance are developed when children play interesting games. Further, their fine motor abilities improve with tasks like picking, putting, pouring and holding objects. As they attempt to hold smaller objects they are honing their judgement on the amount of pressure to apply.
Hence, through games and playful activities, toddlers can learn tremendously.
Conclusion
Keeping them curious helps them grow. Young children grow quickly and these formative years are key to their development. Engaging games for toddlers is a great way to hone not only their emotional, cognitive, and social skills but also teach them values and spark their interest in the outside world. Through the environment and engaging games, neural pathways are formed each day, which helps develop their personality.
Skillmatics UK is a fantastic games and toys company, making toys for infants to preteens. Their team of educators has developed a repertoire of engaging games for toddlers, including thoughtfully crafted flashcards and puzzles, to encourage their curiosity and learning. Buy Skillmatics Spot & Learn Flashcards to help them learn shapes, colours, and alphabets.
