We’ve all heard the old adage: play is a child’s job… But did you know that their work starts at birth? Perhaps, just like your own career path, a child’s play journey is on a predictable trajectory where the skills and expertise gleaned from one “job” carry over to the next. Want to know if your child is entry-level or close to CEO level? Here’s a closer look at the six classic game stages… and how to make the most of each stage.
Idle Games:Birth to 3 Months
It may be incredible, but yes, even newborns are beginning to understand the power and purpose of the game. While your little one will certainly not pick up a truck and roll around on the floor, they love the way you “play” with them – whether it’s singing, shaking, shaking the rattle, or putting them down on their stomachs.
Young babies are also very interested in moving and wiggling their arms and legs. their hands and feet; And everything in between. In this way, they can learn Xi how their bodies move… This is very important in the later stages of the game. Stimulate their interest through sensory activities (tickling, butterfly kisses, baby massages) to familiarize your baby with their body.
Play Alone:3 Months to 2 Years
Three months is an approximate time. As your baby’s eyesight improves and they are able to absorb brighter hues and contrasting colors and textures, the more interested they will be in the objects around them. For the youngest children, this means lying on a playmat or playgym, hitting, squeezing, wrinkling, staring at toys and objects without your help. Here, your child’s main goal is to explore by touching, grasping, tasting, and seeing.
As babies gradually enter toddlerhood, you may be concerned that your baby is not at all interested in sharing toys with other children. You may also be concerned that your child doesn’t seem to know what other kids are doing around them. Rest assured, this is all normal! In fact, children often don’t have the communication skills to play effectively with other children until (at least) they reach 24 months (usually up to 30 months).
Currently, basic causal toys (including simple musical instruments) are preferred, along with bead mazes, puzzles, interactive board books, activity tables, and toy kitchens.
Spectator Games:2 to 3.5 Years
Toddlers switch back and forth between stand-alone play and spectator play. With spectator games, your child can watch other children participate in an activity. (Any group of kids is fair play, but toddlers especially love to watch older kids play.) While you may think your child is too nervous or shy to participate in the game, know that staying on the sidelines is a normal stage of development. Your child isn’t actually just sitting on the sidelines. Instead, they are actively observing and gathering information about the social rules of games and relationships and how the game is played.
Take your kids to local parks, play spaces, and sandboxes with plenty of viewing opportunities to meet your child’s viewing needs. Sometimes, your child will sit or stand near other children who are playing without being involved. But other times, your child may cheer when their action figure beats the bad guy, or ask questions and make suggestions about what they’ve observed. Go ahead and schedule your play dates… Don’t be stressed if the kids don’t interact.
Parallel Play:2 to 4 Years
This stage overlaps with solo and spectator games. With parallel play, toddlers can continue to increase their repertoire of play, go beyond the periphery and bring themselves closer to the center of the action… Or more appropriately, side by side with the action. Here, children play the same toys or activities together, but they don’t necessarily play together or even interact much. Imagine two children lying on the floor building separate building blocks, or pushing their toys in opposite directions, or several children painting or shaping clay on a shared table.
It may seem like your child is just ignoring their playmates, but the reality is that your child is starting to figure out how to interact with their peers accurately… And they’re Xi new gaming skills. To encourage parallel play, keep your play dates small and only add one or two kids so your kids don’t get overwhelmed. Provide groups with shareable toys, such as bins or blocks, cars, dolls, or stuffed animals, or set up coloring books, sticker sheets, or plasticine.
Lenovo Games:3 to 4 Years
Exciting development: Your child’s attention span is getting longer and longer, and they start craving some child-to-child interaction while playing! You’ll notice that your child is more involved in a variety of activities, such as playing dress-up games with other children, sharing a toy kitchen or tool table, or using playground equipment with peers. It all falls under the umbrella of Lenovo games.
Here, each child remains focused on himself, making his own rules or pretending to be a storyline… And the drama itself is loose and has no common goal. However, your child is talking to other children and sharing game supplies, which helps to improve language and problem-solving skills, as well as introduce taking turns and social cooperation. Plus, it’s the first step to building a friendship!
Co-Op Play: More Than 5 Years
Does your child play, pretend, or create with other children? Congratulations! Your child has entered the cooperative play phase and has set rules and/or group goals. Now, when your child learns how to compromise, take turns, share, resolve conflicts, and regulate chaotic emotions, all of what they have learned in other stages of play will be put to good use.
To help develop your child’s cooperative play skills, continue with small games, but now encourage short-term activities with clear rules, such as a round of “fishing” or a game of kickball. You’ll also notice that some of the early favorites now show a co-op leaning: side-by-side car games have become racing games with rules, playing restaurants and grocery stores may outperform simply pretending to play in the kitchen, and individual attire – up may now have a coordinated theme or story.