Play at Two!

Play is indeed one of the best ways for babies to grapple new concepts and ideas. It is one of the best teaching methods. However at every stage, a child needs newer forms of play to stimulate his interest. What is interesting for a six month old won't surely be that interesting for a two year old. You can't expect your two year old to feel excited just by watching some colorful object- which would actually be very interesting for a six month old baby. As your baby grows, he not only outgrows certain toys and games- his preferences also changes. So what exactly can be/constitute interesting and appropriate play for a two year old? Read on to get some ideas.

By the time your baby is two, games which involve shapes, sizes or colors would make up for interesting play. This is a good time to introduce her to different shapes like rectangles, squares, triangles etc. You can give her an assorted jumble of toys or objects of different shapes- for e.g. two triangular objects, three circular ones and four rectangular toys. Then tell her to put the similar shapes in one stack from the assorted shapes. Show her how she can do it. This kind of a game can be very stimulating for her. Also, she would learn the concept of shapes through this game. So it can be a very educational game at the same time. This could be her lesson in geometry! You can make her play similar games involving colors or sizes.

The ‘Stack and Store' kind of game also proves to be fun. Put an entire jamboree of goodies in a container- it would be fascinating for her to take them out and put them in again. This would also be the first step towards teaching her to keep her toys in order and organized!

Toys which toddlers can rock, push or ride would also prove to be fun.

The high chair can be used as a prop for a very interesting game. Strap your baby carefully in the high chair- then place a basket in front and give him some soft balls. Tell him to throw the balls in the basket- sit back and see her aim getting better!

The list of fun games is endless. But remember, at this age babies are like sponges- they absorb everything taught to them. So try to imbibe some qualities in the games that are educational and contribute to their learning process. Nothing makes learning as much fun as playing!

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About the Author:
Samantha Delaney is the editor of http://www.babylife.org/

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com - Play at Two!