All children love playing. As well as being great fun for them, it also serves as a practical tool for helping them learn. By choosing age appropriate toys, designed for their particular stage of development, you can aid their learning and development even more. Here are some examples of toys that are suitable for three year olds and the learning benefits they can have.
Beads And Jewellery Making
Three year olds, especially girls, may enjoy threading beads onto elastic or cotton to make simple necklaces or bracelets. There are many kits available to buy, containing colourful beads or alphabet beads, so children can spell out their names. Threading beads onto elastic can help children develop their finer co-ordination skills.
Home Play Items
Three year old children are at a stage in life where they want to join in with what’s going on at home, copying the activities of mum and dad. Whilst it’s good for them to get the chance to have a go at things, like dusting or handing the pegs to hang out the washing, it’s not always practical or safe to try everything (like using a hot iron). That’s where children’s home play toys come into their own.
A wide range of mini, child-sized toys are available, such as a mini washing line, mini vacuum cleaner, mini iron and other similar toys can be found. This means children can do the activities they yearn to do, but in a safe and age appropriate manner.
Jigsaw Puzzles
Like other age groups, three year olds are also likely to enjoy doing jigsaw puzzles. The pieces may be slightly smaller than puzzles designed for two year olds, but this is perfect, as it can help with the development of their finer coordination and motor skills. Puzzles are also good for making them think, for working out where pieces go and what the eventual picture might be.
Arts And Crafts
Three year olds enjoy using crayons and doing their version of colouring in (which tends to still look more like random scribbles), but they do benefit from arts and crafts type play. It takes a while for them to get used to using items such as paint brushes and pens, due to the development of finer motor skills, but getting involved with art and craft play is both enjoyable and educational.
Tricycle And Riding Toys
Three year olds thrive when they’re on the move and will enjoy playing outside and exploring the environment. Although they can still be a bit wobbly when walking, they should be able to cope with riding a tricycle, or other three wheeled child-size bike. This helps boost their physical capabilities, but also provides them with some of the skills they’ll need when they eventually have a go at riding a proper bike.
Tools And Work Benches
Two year olds often enjoy playing with simple tools, but as they move onto becoming three year olds, children can play with even more mini tool-like toys and work benches. You’ll find a variety of mini wooden tools and work benches available, designed especially for children, their height and play needs. Children enjoy hammering pegs into holes and playing with other tools – especially if they’re able to play at copying any DIY that dad does!
Shape Matching, Numbers And Balance Toys
Children are continuing to learn about different shapes, numbers and about how things balance. There are various toys available which help develop these skills, such as a wooden abacus for counting numbers, colourful shape games or toys which involve hanging items onto pegs to make a central piece become balanced. All of these types of toys provide great play opportunities, but also serve to boost a child’s learning ability.
A helpful article, thanks. But ‘copying any DIY that dad does’? In our house it’s Mum who does the DIY while Dad earns a living. Women and girls can use tools too!