Helping your toddler develop through play

Spend time playing with your child each day, even if it’s only a short spell. This gives them a sense of their importance to you and makes them feel loved. Remember, playing isn’t about having the latest toy, it’s about spending time with your little one and learning together as a family.

Rather than suggesting games to your child or telling them what to play, try to let your wee one take the lead. Start by watching them and noticing what they’re interested in – it could be a toy, something they can see our of the window, or their own fingers and toes! Ask them if you can join in, and play with them until they move their attention to something else. This is a great way to help your child learn, as we all learn better when we’re interested in something.

Playing with your wee one is a great way to get in touch with your inner child. Get down to their level (which usually means crawling on the floor!) forget about being a ‘grown-up’ and let your imagination run free.

Different toys appeal to different age groups, and you can have fun choosing the best ones for your child’s stage of development. You can find out more about choosing toys for one year olds and two and three year olds here.

Playing is one of the key ways in which your wee one develops their language skills. When playing, talk to your toddler and take the opportunity to extend their vocabulary.

For example, they say, ‘It’s an aeroplane’ you can reply, ‘Yes, it’s an aeroplane. Shall we see if we can make it fly? Where do you think it’s going?’ That way they learn words and ideas about what aeroplanes do.

Turn off the TV or radio and put away your phone so neither you nor your child gets distracted. They’ll love getting all your attention – and will be more likely to settle down for telly time afterwards while you get on with other things if they haven’t been distracted by screens beforehand.

Let your child to play at their own pace. Sometimes just sit quietly with them and notice what they’re doing – perhaps say the things you can see, such as, ‘I can see you have built a big tower there’.  

The same goes when you’re out and about – if you’re out in the park or woods, some children will run about everywhere, while others will spend half an hour at the first tree stump they find! You can encourage their curiosity by letting them explore the things that capture their attention.

If your child wants to use a watering can as a teapot or trousers as a hat, let them! There’s no right or wrong way to play.

Find a space in your home where your little one can play safely and keep it as a dedicated area free of grown-ups’ things and clutter. A corner of the sitting room or bedroom will do nicely.

Keep toys at toddler eye-level where they’re easy to get at. Store things like bricks and puzzles in plastic boxes so the bits don’t get lost. Other good containers include plastic vegetable racks, filing trays or string bags.

Toddlers don’t have a very long attention span and they soon get tired of the same toys. Putting a few toys away for a little while and then bringing them out again at a later date can give them a new lease of life.

If your child is really focused on playing, try not to interrupt them or change the activity to something else. Of course sometimes play time will have to cut short – if it’s bath time, for example – so make sure you give them a heads up that it’s nearly time to finish. That way it doesn’t come as too much of a shock.

Playgrounds, nursery and toddler groups give your little one the chance to meet and mix with other children and start learning about relating to people outside the family. Our section on communication and speech has more tips for helping your wee one socialise and make friends.

Even from an early age your child can help you to tidy away after a play session. It can help ease them from one activity to another (for example, from playtime to bedtime) and helps teach tidiness and respect for belongings.