Tips for Tots: Parent Role In Children's Play and Learning

Now this book is a bit on the dated side but I have found a treasure trove of great information to use and to share. You will certainly see this book again in a future post!

"Parents are children's first and primary teachers. Our role is not to define the learning or play but to observe our child to see what her goal is and to provide safety, information, and necessary materials as well as time and space." from Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Laura Davis and Janis Keyser.


Here are some great ideas the book has to share about our role in play and learning:

1. Respect the importance of choice. Children need amply time for free play.
2. Create environments that are conducive to children's play and learning. A clean place where children can easily access and find toys!
3. Provide a variety of open-ended, multiuse materials and toys. Those toilet paper tubes and empty boxes apply here. Even an hour in a kitchen cabinet or drawer, a safe one of course.
4. Prvide a variety of toys and play opportunties for both boys and girls. That means that boys do need dolls and dress up clothes from time to time too.
5. Provided a manageable number of toys that rotate regularly. We mentioned this in an earlier post - too many toys is too overwhelming and actually inhibits play!
6. Don't interrupt children unnecessarily. This one should be a no-brainer for a busy mother!
   
7. Let their children from their own imagination. As in the case of blocks, don't have your kids ask YOU to build something, show them how to build whatever they have dreamed up!

Keep these things in mind next time you are playing with your child, or especially when you are looking at organizing or purchasing new toys for them too! I highly recommend you check out the book for yourself if you have a chance.