Toys or activities that encourage math: 

• Board games that require keeping score or counting.
• Use everyday activities as a fun way to introduce math into your child’s daily routine such as: How many dogs can you count on a walk? How many plates do you count at family dinner? 
• Ask your child to use different ways to show a certain number - you’ll be surprised at how many ways they can show it! Some examples we love are drawings, tally marks, coins, dice and mathematical equations. 
• Discuss the calendar with your child! Discuss how many days are in a month or how many days until Saturday!

Toys or activities that encourage language: 

• Games encourage children to comprehend instructions. Begin with sorting and matching games and discuss the different shapes and colors. 
• Practice writing letters and words with fun writing utensils, such as color changing markers or chalk, and discuss the different letters and sounds each letter makes.
• Reading is a great way to encourage language by growing your child’s vocabulary and comprehension. 

Toys or activities that encourage dramatic play: 

• Costumes, props, and pretend play toys encourage dramatic play and allow children to explore themselves. 
• Singing and acting are also great ways for your little one to express themselves!

Toys or activities that encourage science: 

• Planting a flower, garden or grass is a great way to teach your child about the world around them! 
• Discussing the weather and their observations (it is sunny, it is hot) promotes curiosity and their observational skills. 

Toys or activities that promote collaborative play: 

• Board games help children learn how to work with others and how to be patient and take turns. 
• Sports also encourage collaborative play and teamwork. 
• If your child is not ready to jump into new social activities, allow them to observe other children in different surroundings.

Toys or activities that encourage outdoor exploration: 

• Gardening tools, binoculars, and other outdoor items are great for helping children explore the world around them. Interacting with the natural world will encourage them to ask questions and get a better sense of the plants and animals that also call our planet home. 
• Collecting leaves or going on a scavenger hunt promotes creative engagement and new contexts for learning. 

Toys or activities that develop fine motor skills: 

• Activities such as playdough or beading strengthen hand and finger muscles, preparing them for a pencil grip.
• Playing with household items, such as salad spinners or containers will improve their coordination.

Toys or activities that develop gross motor skills: 

• Tummy time is the foundation for infants to eventually be able to roll over, reach, and crawl.
  
• Running around, hop-scotch and playing sports are all great whole-body activities to engage major muscle groups.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

Independent play is child-led, but there are a few ways you can intentionally set up your child and your home to get the most out of independent playtime. 

• Create a child-safe space: Create an environment that allows for your child to be curious and for them to explore their toys on their own. Make a designated play area with your little one’s toys and remove other distractions and safety hazards. Having the safety and security of this safe space allows them to fully engage in play and tune out their surroundings.

• Stay close by, but let your child play independently: In the toddler stage, your little one will still need some supervision to make them feel safe and secure. You can start by sitting with them for a few minutes and then transitioning to another location within eyesight or earshot to let them play on their own! 

• Switch it up: Swap out your little one’s toys every few weeks to keep things fresh and interesting! Your little one will love discovering new objects and ways to use them. This can be as simple as adding in new household items like a cardboard paper towel roll or a sponge that will introduce them to new sounds and textures.

• Avoid commenting on how your child chooses to play: Allowing your child to play without interruption will help their creativity flow! Allowing children to self-direct their play provides them with the satisfaction of having choices and learning the consequences or results of that choice.

• Let your child guide you: While it might be tempting to select the toys that look best in your home, it is important to let your child’s unique (and ever-changing) preferences and curiosities guide what products excite them most. Let the play be spontaneous, not scripted. The unknown outcome allows them to develop flexibility in their thinking and decision making.

• Choose stage-appropriate toys: The most important part of independent play is making sure you’re choosing toys that are the right fit for your child’s unique age and stage. Take our quiz to help determine your little one’s current stage and which play items may be the best fit for their current developmental stage, unique skill set, and interests, not just their age. Keep preferences and interests in mind when determining what toys are developmentally appropriate for your little one. Open-ended toys can grow with your child as their skills and interests change.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

• Talk to your child: Narrate your day with your child! Talk them through your daily routines and actions, such as “We’re going to take a walk! I’m going to put on your coat and we’re going to go to the park. When we get home we’ll have a snack!” 
• Read to your child: You can start reading to your baby from day 1! Over time, babies will start to recognize words and sounds which will set them up for reading and speech later on. Make this a part of your daily routine by reading every night before bed! You can start with simple stories and add more complex ones as your child gets older.
• Listen to music together: Children will start to recognize the words to their favorite songs after listening to them over and over! You may not love the repetition of “Old McDonald” 20 times per day, but your little one will, and it will start to help them recognize sounds and patterns. 
• Tell stories: Make up stories throughout the day or at bedtime to help grow your child’s imagination and further familiarize them with language. 
• Follow your child’s lead: Notice which topics or books interest your child and focus on those! Repeat words and sounds that they use to describe their favorite objects, such as a particular image in a storybook that they point to every time.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

Ages 0-3: It’s never too early to read your little ones books to introduce sounds, words, and visuals. Reading provides them with the building blocks they need for language development. As your little one gets older, they'll be able to turn the pages of a board book. Your child will start to recognize favorite pages or pictures! Point out pictures that your child seems drawn to and make sounds that the characters might make, like “WOOF!” for a dog. Listening to music helps children develop their literacy skills and introduces them to different expressions. This is a great age to introduce singing the ‘ABC’s’. 

Ages 3-5: Make words and letters a part of your daily life by providing a print rich environment to familiarize your little ones with language. Constantly have books out and available, read the words on signs, keep written words at eye level, and read to them daily. Even before your child can read, you can practice identifying sounds of letters and words that rhyme.  Engage your child during and after a book by asking them questions about the story or to make a prediction and remember, no answer is wrong! Have your child look at the pages and practice recognizing upper and lower case letters. You can even make a game out of letter recognition DIY activities such as Alphabet Rock Matching.

Ages 5-7: By this age, your child may be ready to take the next step towards reading - associating the correct sound with each letter. Practice blending the sounds of each letter together to sound it out, starting with 3 letter consonant-vowel-consonant words, such as “cat” or “mop”. You can also start by pointing out simple sight words such as “I” “a” and “to.” As your child is learning letters and sounds, continue to read to your child above their reading level to expose them to more complex vocabulary and story lines. 

Each child will read in their own time and develop a natural interest in books. The earliest readers don’t make the best readers!

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

• Montessori: Arguably the most well-known of the three, the Montessori method focuses on learning at each child’s own pace. Teachers are employed to assist students in learning at their own individual level without judgment or pressure. Montessori education usually starts between ages 3-6, but some programs start earlier. You can also incorporate Montessori philosophies into at-home play and education from infancy! 
• Waldorf: In Waldorf education, teachers work with each child based on their unique gifts and challenges. Children are encouraged to learn when they are ready, rather than competing with other students. Waldorf teachers strive to generate a love of learning in their students without the added pressures of comparison to their peers. Through close observation of each child, Waldorf teachers can assess the best timing to introduce different subjects and concepts.
• Reggio Emilia: Reggio Emilia schooling is based around projects. When students show a specific interest in one subject or topic, teachers will help students learn more themselves rather than simply answering their questions. Curriculum is largely self-guided, which can help children learn problem solving skills and tailor learning to their interests. The relationship is intended to be lateral rather than hierarchical, so children are learning alongside their teachers and are supported by their communities which include parents and other community members.

Each of these three types of educational environments offer space for children to take on open-ended projects and foster their independence and creativity. Even if your child does not go to a school that specializes in one of these disciplines, you can encourage these values at home! 

1. Follow your child’s interests: If your child seems to be particularly interested in a certain animal or topic like sharks or space, follow their interest! Choose books that discuss these topics, or arts and crafts activities that allow them to visually explore their interests.
2. Encourage learning at their own pace: There’s no need to rush education! Your child is learning with everything they do - every new food they eat or item they pick up teaches them about a new texture, taste, smell or color. Your child may encounter some frustration as they learn, but this is normal! Through trial and error, your child will begin to understand the world around them. Their pace may be different than a sibling’s or friend’s, and that’s ok!
3. Introduce age and stage appropriate play and educational items: You can determine your child’s age and stage by taking our quiz, or by simply observing your child throughout the day! Introducing new items when they seem ready will keep them engaged and learning at the pace that is right for them. 

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

• Helping to build nerve connections in the brain
• Encouraging the development of motor skills
• Supporting language development
• Encouraging scientific thinking and problem solving skills
• Helping to calm your child and allow them to be present and mindful

When your little one is a baby, just touching different objects can help their brain start thinking about the world around them. You can stimulate their senses by rubbing their back, talking to them, or just blowing raspberries on their tummy! As they are able to reach for things and play, you will notice them enjoying the sounds they can make with rattles or crinkly toys. 

As an older infant or toddler, your little one may be ready to start exploring for themselves. The good news is that you can create a sensory activity out of things you already have at home! 

Sensory play ideas and activities:

• Create a sensory bin: Sensory bins allow children to engage their senses, explore, and learn through hands-on tactile play. These bins encourage and support various types of development and can easily be made at home. There are endless variations, including a Sensory Smash Bin and Laundry Basket Sensory Bin.
• Playing with food: As messy as it sounds, giving them safely prepared food in their high chair is the perfect way to activate their senses. Watch as they smash, smell or taste their food!
• Playdough: Playdough is a great sensory and learning activity and it can even be made at home!  
• Plant a Flower: Older kids can help dig dirt, plant seeds, and water, watch and smell as the flower grows!
• Finger Painting: Using finger paint, they can see how the different colors mix together and feel the wet paint on their hands.
• Water or Sand Play: Water and sand offer different visual, textural, and temperature sensations that can be explored in nature or at home. For example, an activity such as Frozen Pom Pom Play.

Since children learn by doing, sensory activities will help prepare your child to better understand and take on the world around them and get used to new feelings and experiences as they grow!

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

Parents and caregivers should create a safe environment to foster child-driven play, where children can play at their own pace, discover their own interests, and engage in the passions they wish to pursue. Playing with caregivers is helpful for supporting skill development, however independent play also has benefits for young children including creativity and investigation skills. There are many different types of play, all of which provide different benefits for your child’s learning and development. Some of these benefits include:

• Independence: When you create a safe play environment for your child, you give them the freedom to make their own decisions about how they want to use objects. Without constraints, children can feel empowered to play however they want and to make up games and activities on their own that stimulate their senses and imagination!
• Problem solving skills: When playing on their own, children have to figure out how to solve problems like how to get a block from one place to another, how to stack them without them falling, or how to get their favorite color of paint on the paper instead of the table! They have the freedom to try activities as many times as they need to get the outcome they want.
• Gross motor skills: Gross motor skills are skills that require the use of the large muscles of the body. These muscles are utilized for movements such as walking, running, and jumping. Your little one can develop these skills by playing on playground equipment, engaging in a sport, or jumping rope. These skills are essential for laying the foundation for other necessary movements like eventually getting on and off the toilet, in and out of bed, and sitting up straight at a desk.
• Fine motor skills: Stacking, sorting, and grasping play objects will help your child develop fine motor skills. These repeated movements will help strengthen the muscles in their hands and fingers, which will help them one day transition to holding objects like a marker or crayon and get more precise with their movements. These skills will transfer to other areas of their life like eating (holding a fork or spoon).
• Social skills: Engaging in play with others can help children learn how to interact and collaborate with their peers. Collaborative play requires children to notice social cues and express their feelings, which encourages empathy and conflict resolution skills. 
• Promotes physical activity: Many children play through their bodies, which helps children build their muscles, coordination, and stamina. Outdoor play including sports, group games like tag, or solo activities like jumping rope are all excellent for getting your little one active while having fun.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

All children develop mentally and physically at different rates, so there is not a specific age assigned to each stage of play - however, there are general age ranges in which your little one may be ready for different play activities. 

Here’s a breakdown of the 6 stages of play, a classic tool developed by American sociologist Mildred Parten Newhall.

1. Unoccupied Play (Birth - 3 months): At this stage, the baby is just making a lot of movements with their arms, legs, hands, feet, etc. They are learning about and discovering how their body moves.
2. Solitary Play (Birth - 2 Years): This is the stage when a child plays alone and is not interested in playing with others quite yet.
3. Spectator/Onlooker Behavior (2 Years): During this stage, a child begins to watch other children playing but does not play with them.
4. Parallel Play (2+ Years): When a child plays alongside or near others but does not play with them, this stage is referred to as parallel play.
5. Associate Play (3 - 4 Years): At this stage, a child starts to interact with others during play, but there is not a large amount of interaction. A child might be doing an activity related to the kids around him or her, but might not actually be interacting with them. For example, kids might all be playing on the same piece of playground equipment but all doing different things like climbing, swinging, etc. 
6. Cooperative Play (4+ Years): When a child plays together with others and has interest in both the activity and the other children involved in playing, they are participating in cooperative play. 

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.

Disclaimer: The contents of this article does not constitute medical advice. If you have concerns about any health or medical condition, diagnosis, or treatment you should consult with your pediatrician or a licensed healthcare provider.

Open-ended play: Open-ended play is play without boundaries that allows children to express themselves freely. This can look like play with blocks, household objects, or other items that do not have a set purpose. Open ended play is a great way for children to explore their creativity and independence!

Independent play: Independent play is when you allow your little one to create their own fun, solo (with parents remaining nearby or supervising, as needed)! Playing independently can help your child build creativity and problem-solving skills, as well as foster emotional control and regulation. 

Sensory play or toy and object play: Sensory play engages your child’s five senses! The world is full of new and exciting sounds, sights, smells, tastes, and textures that your baby will start to notice from the moment they’re born. Even prior to birth, babies start to recognize their mother’s voice and smell!  

Outdoor play: Outdoor play is exactly what it sounds like - play in the great outdoors! Playing outside allows children to build skills like spatial awareness and balance, and can also help improve their attention span.

Rough-and-tumble/physical play: Physical play can be as simple as sliding down a slide or playing tag! Engaging in movement can help build your child’s confidence as they take “risks” in a safe environment, as well as help with socio-emotional skills like empathy as they engage in play with others.

Pretend play: Pretend play includes dress up, make-believe, and imaginary play. Your little one can experiment with playing different roles such as teacher, student, or doctor. Imaginary play can encourage creativity and communications skills as they work with others to create a pretend world or scenario.

Collaborative/cooperative play: Collaborative play is play that requires teamwork! Children will learn to take turns, negotiate, follow rules, and compromise as they work with other children to reach a common goal like winning a game or making a project.

This article has been reviewed by our team of experts.