When
I was a preschool teacher many years ago I would use one toy in many different
ways. This was for several reasons. One, it was economic. Two, it encouraged
children to try new experiences. Three, it added variety to the play. Four,
toys used in different settings enhance different skills. This is not brilliant
in any manner. Children do this naturally. If you give a child a small
cardboard box it may become a mouse house or a treasure chest or a boat or decorated
like a flower. Many counting toys for 2 year olds can be versatile in this way.
My
favourite learning toys for preschoolers is the set of small colored plastic bears such as Skoolzy.com Counting Bears
with Sorting Cups. I would put these bears on a table with a set of wooden blocks.
Toddlers would soon be matching the color of the bears to the blocks. They would
stack a bear on a block practicing one to one correspondence. They may even
make a fort of blocks and count the bears as they are placed in the perimeter.
Another
fun activity and a good use for educational toys for kids 3 years old is to place the
cups and bears in the water table. Often I would also color the water with food
coloring for added enticement. As well as encouraging counting skills toddlers
are learning to pour, measure and estimate. Add some funnels and measuring cups
for extra play and learning.
Playing
with play dough and the counting bears and cups is a very tactile experience.
Fine motor skills are used to flatten out the dough, roll it into balls and
create shapes. This is a very open ended activity encouraging imagination and creativity.
Children use the bears and cups as a tool to flatten the dough. They may match
balls of dough to the bears and sort them into the cups. construction sets for toddlers are certainly adaptable.
For more information click here. Best toddler toys for 2 year old, Best educational toys for 4 year old
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