When your child plays – what do you see her/him using and learning? I dedicated this week to capturing, in pictures, how my toddler son plays with new toys. In the end, this challenge had three great benefits: 1) taking a break from folding laundry during playtime, 2) adding to his memory book and 3) giving me the opportunity to actually reflect on the skills he is developing through play.
Featuring:
Fisher-Price Stand-Up Ballcano (6-36 mos)
Fisher-Price Wheelies Loops n’ Swoops Amusement Park (1 1/2 – 5 yrs)
Fisher-Price Sing-Along Choo-Choo (6-36 mos)
Above: my favourite picture of the week. Sunbeam + new toy + curious boy = Awesome.
Above: He is trying to problem solve where the flag goes. Hmmm….
Above: Toddler multi-tasking – balancing on knees while placing wheelie on track
Above: He said “YES! YES” and nodded in great agreement when I brought out this new toy.
Above: He was almost too enthusiastic when I was putting together the ballcano – he kept handing me toy pieces!
Above: As soon as he discovered the roller ball made the music go – he was dancing!
What did I find this week? He uses verbal skills (a big deal since he has had hearing issues), gross and fine motor skills (from big time dancing to carefully placing cars), problem solving (yes, he figured out the flag) and creativity (lying under the ballcano while it dropped balls!) while he plays.
Fisher-Price has incorporated 3 Pillars of Development (Physical, Cognitive and Social & Emotional) and 12 Elements of Enrichment (things like fine motor, problem solving and sharing) into their toys. When I buy a toy I’m not thinking “Will this make him multi-task better through balancing and coordination?” however I’m glad the experts at Fisher-Price do that development thinking for me (as you can see – my toddler certainly benefits from it!).
Following my son around for a week – capturing his play moments – was a great idea (in addition to the ignoring laundry aspect of it). I loved watching him smile, discover and play. Childhood is so short…capture the moments when you can.
The laundry can wait 😉
Disclosure: I am a Fisher-Price Play Ambassador and I receive special perks as part of my affiliation with this group. The opinions on this blog are my own.
He’s super-cute Caroline! Looks like he’s having a blast!
always looking for fun learning toys thanks for the review