Toddler Tips: Toys for Tots

by Heather Long | More from this Blogger

20 Aug 2006 11:00 AM

Never mistake that your toddler is working while they are playing. They are working while developing motor skills, hand eye coordination and more. So encouraging your toddler to play and providing them with toys to stimulate their imagination and development is a great idea. With that in mind, here are some tips on picking out toys for tots.

• Develop their small motor skills with stacking toys, wooden puzzles with knobs, shape sorters and pop up toys with dials and knobs that their fingers can manipulate
• Develop their large motor skills with pull toys, push toys, climbing toys and riding toys
• Stimulate their imagination with dolls, stuffed animals, cars, trucks, board books and adult gadgets like a vacuum cleaner, play kitchen, grocery cart
• Stimulate their creativity with crayons, paint, pencils and colorful paper
• Develop their musical skills with instruments like maracas, drums, xylophones and toddler tape players with big fat buttons for them to push
• Develop their exploratory nature with boxes, containers, pattern and shape toys

Christmas Shopping and More

While Christmas is still a few months away, it's never to early to plan for those upcoming occasions. Next month, my nephew will be celebrating his first birthday and I've already been out looking for the perfect gift. I found it in a tetherball toy that uses a large plastic ball on a stand.

It has three settings - you can keep the ball stationary so they can use it for a stabilizer to stand and beat on. It has a tether that lets them knock it off, but doesn't let it go far away and you can un-tether it completely so he can just play with it.

The base lights up and has knobs, wheels and more that he can push, turn and play with and it plays music and sounds. It's a GREAT toy for helping him with his large and small motor skill development as well as just being fun.

What are some of your favorite toys for tots?

Related Articles:

Don't Give Your Children Everything

The Toddler Pull

Stuffed Octopus

The Toys'R'Us & Babies'R'Us Website

Learn more about Heather Long

Heather Long is 35 years old and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. She has been a freelance writer for six years. Her husband and she met while working together at America Online over ten years ago.

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