• Cognitive development. Putting all the toy animals inside the barn or outside on the grass reinforces the concepts of inside and outside. Sorting the small blocks from the big blocks helps your child note similari-ties and differences. Grouping and classification skills are important precursors for reading, writing, and math activities.

• Physical development. Dress comfortably for the weather in your area. Play simple chasing and hiding games outside. Roll, throw, or kick a soft ball.

• Spiritual development. Invite your young child to use a vegetable brush and clean the vegetables for dinner. You might say: “Thank you for cleaning the potatoes. God made the potatoes.” Encourage your child to name other foods God created. Place napkins on the table as you name family members who will sit at the table. Thank God for each family member.

AGE-APPROPRIATE TOYS

• Board books with large pictures and simple stories

• Books and magazines with photographs of babies

• Blocks

• Nesting toys

• Simple shape sorters and pegboards

• Beginner’s jigsaw puzzles

• Toys that encourage make-believe play (child lawn mower, kitchen sets, brooms)

• Digging toys (bucket, shovel, rake)

• Dolls of all sizes

• Cars, trucks, trains

• Unbreakable containers of various shapes and sizes

• Bath toys (boats, containers, floating squeak toys)

• Balls of various shapes and sizes

• Push-and-pull toys

• Outdoor toys (slides, swings, sandbox)

• Beginner’s tricycle

• Connecting toys (links, S-shapes)

• Stuffed animals

• Child keyboard and other musical instruments

• Large crayons

• Toy telephone

• Unbreakable mirrors of various sizes

• Dress-up clothes

• Wooden spoons, old magazines, baskets, cardboard boxes and tubes, and other similar safe, unbreakable items

Source: American Academy of Pediatrics, Caring for Your Baby and Young Child: Birth to Age 5 (Bantam Books, 2004).

A Positive relationship Ecclesiastes 3:1 reminds that, “There is an occasion for everything.” As you interact with your child, recognize the value of a playful moment. Experience games with your young child and strengthen a positive relationship which helps to place the struggles and frustrations of daily life in perspective. 

ONLINE GAMES

Consider playing interactive online games and activities with your child. Review various Web sites and select games that are appropriate for your child’s specific interests.

Visit www.fisher-price.com and click on “Fun & Family Time: Fun & Games, Online!” Try “The ABC’s Zoo Learning Game.” You and your child can press any key as you tour the zoo. Your child will be able to listen to the animal’s name and the sound it makes. Encourage your older child to name the animal or tell you what sound the animal makes. Remember, the game itself should not be the focus as much as the time spent with you!

Create your own online game with digital family photos. Invite your toddler to point to the picture of herself, big brother, Mommy, or Daddy. With an older or more verbal child, you might ask: “Who is this?” or “What is our dog’s name?”

© Getty Images

Dixie Ruth Crase teaches babies at Second Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee. She teaches early childhood students at the University of Memphis. She and her husband enjoy spending time with their grandchildren, William and Elizabeth Anne.

MARCH 2008 PARENTLIFE 11