Developmental Play Ideas from Birth to 6 years

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Child's Play
....sharing information & ideas!

Developmental Play Ideas
for Children from Birth to 6 Years

Birth to 3 Months 3-6 Months 6-9 Months 9-12 Months 12-18 Months
18-24 Months 2-3 Years 3-4 Years 4-5 Years 5-6 Years

Birth to 3 Months:
Learning to:	Coordinate eyes (1-2 months) Turn head toward sound Lift head to look Smile for pleasure
Likes to:	Listen Watch bright objects or moving objects Suck
Enjoys:	Sounds: human voice, rattles, and squeaky toys Colorful wall decorations: large colored free form paper pieces, large bright pictures Mobiles: birds or butterflies hung over crib from ceiling

3 to 6 Months
Learning to:	Reach and grasp objects in hands (2-4 months) Roll from front to back (6 months) Sit with support Pick up and recognize objects Transfer objects from one hand to other
Likes to:	Bang, touch, bite, pickup, drop, grasp, shake, bounce
Enjoys:	Playing on floor, rattles, teething rings, bracelets, toys to squeeze Large beads and spools, strung together Floating bath toys Jolly Jumper of bounce chair

6 to 9 Months
Learning to:	Sit alone Pull self up Creep and crawl Respond to noise, odor, etc. Drink from a cup
Likes to:	Play with reflection in mirror Imitate Taste and chew Drop and bang Babble, squeal and listen to their own voice
Enjoys:	Playing "Peek-a-Boo" Pots, pans and lids Colorful light weight blocks Stuffed animals Empty reels, from cellophane or adhesive tape or fishing lines, etc. Wooden spools Aluminum pie plates Juice cans strung together Riding horse on someone's knee Cloth books - Texture books

9 to 12 Months
Learning to:	Imitate actions and sounds Stand with support Pull self to standing position Stand alone walk with support Manipulate objects Hold spoon while eating Feed self with fingers
Likes to:	Wave "bye-bye" Imitate syllables: "Dada, Mama" Play "Pat-a-cake", "This Little Pig" Throw, push, pull, cuddle, tear, pour
Enjoys:	Taking off shoes or clothing Big balls Push or pull toys Nests of cans and stacking toys blocks Stuffed animals and dolls Paper to crinkle and tear Wastebasket of discarded letters to empty Floating bath toys Interesting textures to grasp or chew (try lying scraps of material to play pen or stroller)

12 to 18 Months
Learning to:	Develop a sense of possession Walk by self Know what he wants and go after it Remember an article when it is our ot sight Crawl up and over things Follow simple directions Feed himself with help Mimic sounds, motions and facial expressions Climb stairs
Likes to:	Look at picture books (say names of objects so he can point or pat picture) Help turn book pages Examine and handle objects Throw things
Enjoys:	Filling and emptying boxes of small things Rummaging through pots and pans Emptying wastebaskets and bottles Pushing and pulling wheeled toys especially those that make sounds Low bench to climb on or over Sand box, sand toys, digging toys

18 - 24 Months
Learning to:	Feed himself passably well Run simple errands from room to room Extend his reach toward desired objects, i.e. by moving chairs, etc. Look at picture books by himself
Likes to:	Crawl up, over and under things Get encouragement for his activities Rough and tumble play Play near other children rather than with them Hear pattern sounds of rhythm and rhymes
Enjoys:	Imitating the games of other older children Imitating parents activities, i.e. use of telephone Poems, nursery rhymes, TV commercials, radio or records Stacking blocks Sand boxes, and box toys Peg boards and mallet Push and pull toys Water play Indoor and outdoor swing

2 to 3 Years
Learning to:	Know the world around him, smell, taste, feel touch Developing likes an dislikes Talk fluently Start dressing and undressing self, pants, shoes, socks
Likes to:	Feel texture - water, dough, clay, fur, hard things, runny things, round things, etc. Fit boxes or cans or blocks into each other Use toys which require them to use their whole body Go for walks or picnics with time to dawdle and explore Go for trips to zoo, circus, etc. Climb slide
Enjoys:	Large stuffed animals, cushions Blank paper and large crayons or paint and brush Large blocks or cartons for imaginative play Water play, bubble blowing Sand boxes Beads and plastic string Simple 6-8 piece puzzles

3 to 4 Years
Learning to:	make choices in small matters Understand time in relation to today, yesterday, tomorrow, soon, later Conform and obey to please Ask "Why" Control temper and tears Develop a sense of humor
Likes to:	Use tricycles, swings, slides, teeter-totter Play quiet Make mud pies, use clay or plasticine, play dough, finger paint, play house, play with dolls in a motherly way Dance to music Talk to himself while playing (imitating 2 people) Play with other children
Enjoys:	A tea party, especially if she or he is host Inflated balls, dolls or bag to punch Visiting with other people Dressing up Simple riddles and guessing games Blunt scissors and paper Trains, trucks, boats, planes Musical instruments

4 to 5 Years
Learning to:	Develop real friendships Boast or brag Feel independent of his parents Play better with one child of same sex begin to realize cause and effect Follow through a simple piece of logic
Likes to:	Dramatize his play (using real experience) Skip, jump, hop, climb talk to anybody and anything Make "jokes" particularly jokes using puns or alliteration building something in order to see it complete
Enjoys:	Swings, slides, tricycles, sleds, wagons, toboggans Somersaults, simple dance routines and action games Painting, cutting out, hammering, ball playing, pasting, sorting, matching Stories, rhymes, may try to make up own Going on little errands alone Finger puppets Small pets, goldfish, turtle, canary

5 to 6 Years
Learning to:	Develop more complicated skills Concentrate on one activity for longer periods of time Reason and think without interference from imagination Distinguish between truth and falsehood Make comparisons, big, bigger, biggest Remember special events with accuracy
Likes to:	Memorize rhymes or songs Run errands which involve remembering or calculating Think in abstract ideas
Enjoys:	Toys which help him duplicate the work of his mother, father, teacher, milkman, postman, etc. Simple picture, letter and number games Puzzles, 8-12 pieces Live animals, dogs, cats, hamster, canary, fish, turtle, etc. Swing, climbing bars, rope ladder, gym sets, small sports equipment, rubber horse shoes, bean bags

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