It’s a moment of pride when you see your toddler who has recently started talking come to you holding a red building block and saying, “Mumma… RED!”
Isn’t it magical to experience these moments, especially in the early years?
The best thing is they’re learning most of the stuff as they’re busy playing. You don’t need to give fancy equipment to train kids’ mental faculties. They’ll pick up new words and concepts while having fun.
You can easily facilitate the child’s holistic development if you only prepare their play environment. Here are the basic things you need to include in your toddler’s playroom.
Toddler-Friendly Furniture
While children play on the floor most of the time, a few activities are best when done at the table.
Encourage your child to go to a table and chair and do simple art and crafts like pasting or painting with water coloring. The child will have a good posture and there’ll be little mess on the floor.
Within a few days of practice, your child will also learn the basic skills like getting on and off the chair and positioning themselves independently.
I strongly recommend keeping a couple of low-height chairs and a table in the playroom. Jonti-Craft has good quality chairs, both wooden and plastic, which will be perfect for your toddler.
Blackboard
No matter how much discipline parents enforce, the universal truth is that a toddler is a natural scribbler.
When you stop them from scribbling, you take away the chance for children to learn how to grip the pencil and maneuver it. These skills will help them a lot when they start learning how to write.
Rather than curbing their instinctive scribbling, provide them with the right tools and the opportunity to practice it freely.
Get a chalkboard for the playroom, and you’ll see how busy your toddler is scribbling away in joy.
A happily occupied toddler and no spoiled walls, could you ask for anything more?
Floor Bookshelf
A floor book-shelf that displays the books with their cover-side front is a must-have for every toddler playroom.
This set-up encourages children to pick out a book that interests them. When they’re young, they may bring their favorite book to you to read out to them. As they start talking, they’ll enjoy flipping through the picture books and identifying the items out loud on their own.
Low-height Open Shelves
Who says a toddler’s mom can’t enjoy a cup of coffee in peace?
Well, it may be true at times, but not always.
Let me explain where the problem lies.
Many parents make the mistake of loading all the toys in baskets. When the toddler tries to find a toy, he may get overwhelmed by the sheer number of choices.
Almost always, the child will turn over the basket, pick a toy he likes (if he can find one before getting frustrated), and walk away from the bothersome chaos.
To help your child enjoy independent playtime, you need to present the toys in an orderly fashion. Low-height open shelves are the best way to organize toys and are instrumental in inculcating the habit of organization and tidying up.
An organized space can keep the child engaged for long periods. Your child will appreciate the order.
Just place about 6-8 toys or activities at a time, one in each shelf space. You can bring out the rest of the toys in rotation.
Floor Mattress
Melt-downs and tantrums are typical signs of an overtired toddler. No matter how brief it is, children need their time out while playing.
I strongly recommend keeping a small floor mattress in the playroom where the toddler can lay comfortably and relax. A little rest between plays will keep up their positive energy.
Toddlers enjoy rolling and attempting somersaults as they explore their strength and flexibility. A floor mattress will be a safe place for such active play too.
Conclusion
Bringing up a toddler is no child’s play. You give them all your time, love and attention, and still, you aspire to make them happy with a bunch of expensive toys and goodies.
Children only need a nurturing environment, along with some thoughtfully chosen age-appropriate toys. With a few essentials in the toddler playroom, you can give them the freedom to explore and ample opportunities to learn new skills.
Good luck Momma, you’ll do great!
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