What to expect from toddler play
Your toddler wants time to look at and try everything he sees. He’ll stop to look at cracks in the cement, wander into other people’s front yards, or pick handfuls of flowers. That’s why a walk to the letter box can sometimes take an hour!
Your toddler also wants to see how things work. She’ll open and close drawers, turn containers upside down to check out their contents, put toast in the DVD player, and put all sorts of objects into all sorts of holes to see what happens.
By the time she’s three, ‘pretend’ games like dress ups and playing house are likely to be favourite activities. This type of imaginative and creative play also helps your toddler express and explore new emotions she might be feeling at this age, like frustration, sadness and anger.
At this age, your toddler is learning the power of words – especially the word ‘no’. He often won’t like it when you tell him ‘no’, especially when he’s busy playing and exploring. He can’t understand that you might just be trying to keep him safe. Sometimes you might find your ‘no’ coming straight back at you.
If you let your child take charge with toddler games whenever it’s safe and practical, it teaches her about making decisions and using her imagination. When your child is leading, you can ask questions about what she’s doing or wants to do – for example, ‘Oh, you’re riding your horse to the shops, are you?’
Toddlers are full of energy – they run, reach out and express their active imaginations. With all this activity going on, it’s a good idea to make your home safe for your child to play and explore in.
Source: http://raisingchildren.net.au/articles/toddler_play_ideas_and_games.html
