We must allow young children to learn through experience, not just lecture. These children need to use their senses and be engaged in meaningful experiences. As we at our centre talk with them about what they are observing and sensing, we give them new language tools to connect with these more familiar sensory tools, building language as well as supporting cognitive concepts specific to the experience.
We at our centre give a lot of hands on exploration to the kids it depends on the stage of development. Since play is the tool your child uses to learn about the world, the skills he’s working on right now are your biggest clues to choosing the best activities.
For instance, if your 3-month-old is learning how to grab objects, let him play with large soft toys. If at 12 months he’s exploring cause and effect, play a simple version of hide-and-seek under tables and chairs.
Touching, banging, mouthing, throwing, pushing, and otherwise experimenting with things is fascinating for the 4- to 10-month-old set.
This type of play, common around the age of 2, creates something out of nothing. Your child might play with a shoebox as if it were a school bus, complete with motor noises.