With Sensory Processing Skills and their impact on children’s learning abilities being such a hot topic in Early Childhood Education, you may have wondered which is better for your classroom- Brain breaks or Sensory Safe Strategies? As a pediatric occupational therapist, I have had the opportunity to work with children in various educational settings. Over …
What are the best toddler bikes? As a Pediatric Occupational Therapist, I have walked so many parents through choosing the right bike for their toddler as well as spent hours testing out different bikes in the preschool schoolyard. When it came to choosing the best toddler bikes for my own kids I also learned how …
If you have ever researched anything to do with Montessori, you would have heard of Practical Life skills and activities for toddlers. Because the Montessori method is geared towards independence, it makes sense that part of play would involve equipping children with early skills for practical life. We often think that toddlers will only want …
If you could choose to invest in one type of toy that would have the longest lasting impact on your child’s development and give you the most rest as a parent- it would be gross motor toys or equipment that invites movement. The little years are the perfect time for getting these bigger type of …
Reading books is one of the best ways that we as parents can support language for our toddlers. Even a few minutes of reading per day has been shown by research to dramatically improve children’s language abilities. It is also easy to get overwhelmed with the wide range of books available. I hope that this …
Cognitive games for 1-3 year olds In the toddler years our children’s brains are heavily at work. Often this cognitive learning and development doesn’t have a direct outcome that we can measure (like learning the alphabet or learning to read). It can be more subtle cognitive development through play schemas and explorative play. When it …
The best dolls and figurines for 1-3 year olds The image of a toddler playing with a doll or truck is almost the poster for childhood play. For very good reason. It is during this type of play that our children develop symbolic thinking, process their emotions and work out an understanding of the world …
Sensory Toys & Loose Parts for 1-3 year olds Sensory play is one of those amazing tools that once you have discovered it, there is no going back. Often we think of sensory play and loose parts play as complicated to set up or messy. However once you can get the right sensory gear, this …
The best dress up and pretend play toys for 1 – 3 year olds If there is one box of toys that gets pulled out most frequently, it is defitley the dress up box. Dress up is the go to “ice-breaker” for playdates and crabby afternoons in our home. The good news is that pretend …
The best Toys for building and construction toys for 1- 3 year olds Building toys for 1 year olds Children start learning to build and connect toys together even before their first birthday. When choosing these type of toys for a one year old I would recommend buying based on what your child is able …