Play for Toddlers
What is play?
Play involves freely chosen activities formed by sociocultural factors, including reality, humor, explorations, and celebrations (American Occupational Therapy Association [AOTA], 2020).
There are two types of play: play exploration and play participation. Individuals who engage in play exploration increase their creativity and imagination. Some examples of play exploration activities include making up games with rules, creating and building something new (constructive play), using objects to represent a different object, like using a cardboard box for a rocket ship (symbolic play) and engaging in repetitive play activities like peek-a-boo (practice play) (AOTA, 2020). Play participation, on the other hand, includes activities with toys, equipment, or supplies (AOTA, 2020).
Importance of Play for Toddlers
Play is an essential activity throughout childhood that promotes (Beck, 2022):
Communication
Sensory input
Grossmotor skills
Fine motor skills
Self-regulation
During this stage in their development, toddlers often become more interested in exploring how objects work, hearing new languages, building relationships with caregivers and other individuals, and discovering how their bodies move (ECLKC, 2024)!
Activity Ideas for Toddlers
There are many different play activities that can help your toddler explore sensory input and increase body movement. Here are some simple yet fun activities your toddler can do at home!
Build an obstacle course: This helps gain multiple body movements such as crawling, sitting to standing, hopping, skipping, and balancing.
Blow bubbles: Promotes eye-hand coordination, oral motor, core strength, and fine motor.
Finger paint: For more taste-friendly finger paint material, your toddler can use flour, apple sauce, or pudding. This activity helps stimulate tactile sensory input, body awareness, and fine motor skills.
Use building blocks: Toddlers can use household items such as cups, containers, or cardboard boxes as building blocks. This helps build bilateral coordination, gross and fine motor skills, and visual and hand-eye coordination.
Play with water: This can help students practice grasping objects, scooping, and pouring water out. They can also increase their tactile, proprioceptive, and interoceptive sensory input.
(Beck,2022)
References
American Occupational Therapy Association. (2020). Occupational therapy practice framework: Domain and process (4th ed.). American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 74(Suppl. 2), 1-87. https://doi. org/10.5014/ajot.2020.74S2001
Colleen, B. (2022). Ot activities for toddlers. The OT Toolbox. https://www.theottoolbox.com/toddler-play/
ECLKC. (2024). Importance of play in early childhood. ECLKC. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/curriculum/article/importance-play-early-childhood#:~:text=Play%20is%20one%20way%20infants,fears%20and%20practice%20adult%20roles