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Best Toys for Toddlers
What Toys Are Most Suitable for 2- to 3-Year-Olds?
By Keath Castelloe Low
Your toddler engages in very important "work" during play. Toys are helpful tools for your child's physical and cognitive problem solving, gross motor development and fine motor coordination, language skills, imagination and social emotional development.
Dr. Mankowski recommends that parents provide their toddlers with plenty of opportunities for exploration and that parents encourage persistence and practice through play. Considering the various areas of a toddler's development when providing toys will maximize her development.
Active Physical Play: Balls and hoops, gym sets, push and pull toys, riding toys, slides. All encourage gross motor development and coordination.
Manipulatives: Blocks, simple shape sorters, nesting toys, large inset puzzles, stacking toys, activity tables, coloring, drawing, dressing dolls. All encourage fine motor and cognitive development.
Musical Toys: Musical and sound-making toys that sing songs, make animal noises or familiarize little ones with letters and numbers. All encourage cognitive development. Dr. Mankowski notes that these toys often teach cause and effect as they encourage children to press particular features and make choices.
Pretend Play: Stuffed animals, baby dolls, doll houses, barns, cars, trucks and trains, pretend household objects such as phones, aprons, small kitchens and safe kitchen tools, dress up clothing. All encourage social and emotional development through fantasy play.