Look Mum! I can also do it!
- Great practice of hand-eye coordination and concentration.
Learning should be fun. Preschool children do not recognise the difference between working and playing or playing and learning. All learning is embraced with enthusiasm as long as a child enjoys what he is doing.
Children learn about the world through play but they don’t always know how to organise or direct their play. The toys direct their play and they are even better if you join in. Talk, laugh and gossip as you play together, and offer guidance when it’s needed. Research says ”the more words children hear and are directed at them, the better their vocabulary and IQ scores”.
If your child begins to misbehave or being silly during the game, it would be better to put the game aside and say “maybe we play it another day, you are might be more interested in …”. Pushing your child to enjoy a toy is counterproductive. Research suggests that young children who are pushed too hard, either in school or at home, often underachieve.
Most toys are educational without you even intending them to be, but with your direction the value of the toy is increased. If your child struggles or responds badly to a toy, stop it and try an easier version, think of of what your child might enjoy. For example if he does not want to count the building bricks, he might count his toy cars. Let the games stimulate your imagination too.