Try these creative ways to stimulate your child to learn

Although children invent their own games and toys, well-designed toys can provide stimuli for exploring and discovering new things. The best toys are ones that fascinate a child and to which they will return again and again.

Providing a stimulating environment

Encourage your child’s development by fostering creative play with an appealing environment. How you display your child’s toys to a large extent determines whether they will be played with or not. Toys that are piled high are not inviting, whereas toys arranged into little scenes, stimulate him or her to sometimes even make other creative arrangements.

It helps if there are spaces to play in, particularly activity areas, which is not necessarily confined just to indoors. If you have a garden, fill it with suitable equipment, like a swing, a slide and even a little play hill – all of which stimulates your child’s imagination.

Choosing toys

Parents sometimes feel frustrated when they spend hours choosing the safest, most colourful, most fun and even educational toy for their child, only to learn that he will be clinging to his old toy. It is almost impossible to choose the ‘best toy’ for your child. The best one is one that fascinates them endlessly, stimulates and provides them with the greatest learning experience. The less formed and basic a toy, the more the possibility and room for a child to imagine and foster his/her creativity. One of the most important things to remember is that children change very rapidly, especially in the first three years and that a toy which entertains a two-month-old, will not entertain a two-year-old. As they develop they need different stimuli and the choice of toys must reflect these needs. The toy chosen must be age-appropriate and must stimulate all the five senses – vision, hearing, touch, smell and taste.

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Having decided upon the appropriate type of toy, the parent must also consider a few other things like whether it’s safe, stimulating, fun and has play value. For example, a bag of bricks is a ‘good’ toy to buy because it can be enjoyed at different ages with pleasure and will stimulate imaginative and active play. Toys that fit together or snap together teach children that they can change their appearance with dexterity.

Safety is also an important factor when choosing or making a toy. Parents must not only check for dangerous design faults when purchasing them but also check for defects at regular intervals. It is impossible to provide a child with a completely safe environment. However, it is possible to follow sensible safety precautions and satisfy the child’s inquisitiveness with safe indoor toys. Children must always be properly supervised and never left to play alone outdoors.

Avoid television

Television, as mesmerising as it is, has a numbing effect on children and cuts them off from the direct experiences of their world which are needed for development. Television cuts down on the amount of social contact with the parent which is important for a well-rounded social and linguistic development.

Books and reading

A single way, in which a parent could enrich a child’s environment, is by having books in the house. Words are crucial to the way our brains function. Books provide children with words to express feelings, ideas and thoughts. They explain the world he/she lives in. They provide the tool for imaginative play, introduces ideas and fun.

It is important for every parent to try and spend time every day to read to their child, preferably at the same time. Choosing books that are visually appealing with illustrations pique the interest of children and visually stimulate their minds. Fairytales are fascinating for children and help distinguish between what is real and imaginary. Books encourage creative thinking and keeping age in mind, it is important to ensure the vocabulary is easy to understand. Re-read books for your child, especially if they ask you to. Don’t stop reading to them even though they start to read on their own. Additionally, always store books on low bookshelves which will encourage browsing, and always have a variety on hand.

(The writer is Senior Consultant-Child Development Specialist &Pediatrician, Motherhood Hospitals, Bangalore.)