When allowing your two-year old to play you will want them to direct the play. That does not mean that you cannot play with them because parental involvement with children is essential for their development. To allow them to develop through exploration and play you are going to need to provide them with a learning environment that offers moderate challenges for your child. Your two-year old will also need you to set up fun opportunities so that they can learn and play in a safe environment.
Blocks offer your child the chance to do some creative building. Provide your child with a set of blocks that come in a variety of shapes and sizes; you can provide them with wooden or plastic blocks. Allow your child to play with the blocks in the appropriate way, if they are hitting with the blocks you will need to intervene so nobody gets hurt. Plastic interlocking blocks are great for building because they provide more possibilities for creative building. If using interlocking blocks, get the kind that are for one-year old and up, not the small ones that are choking hazards.
Sorting toys will provide your two-year old with the practice of placing things into groups based on features. Sorting is one of the most important intellectual tasks for your two-year old. You can even make sorting toys at home with items that you have around the house. For example, you can use an egg carton and buttons. When using buttons children should never be left unsupervised because of the risk of putting buttons in their mouth. To play with the sorting toys tell your two-year old to sort the buttons by color, one color in each container. Once they are done have them sort the buttons based on shape or size.
Imaginative play is a big deal at this age. To help encourage this kind of play, provide your child with dress up clothes, dolls, animals, dishes, buildings, etc. These toys will encourage your child to use their imagination and role-play either alone or with other kids. What type of imaginative toys you can provide for your child will depend on what they enjoy doing. For example, some kids will love to have pretend tea parties, where others would rather play car mechanic or doctor.
Stimulating physical activity is also important because it will help improve their large motor skills and strengthen their muscles. Provide your child with beginner tricycles to get their legs moving; pedaling might take awhile to learn because of the coordination involved. Balls of all shapes and sizes are great outdoor toys to learn how to throw, bounce, and kick. Digging toys inside a sandbox will also help improve motor skills. For example, your child can use a shovel to fill up a bucket of sand and dump it back out. You can also provide them with a soup strainer so they can watch sand fall from different heights. These toys can also help stimulate your two-year old’s intellectual and emotional development.
Computer programs should be introduced to your child around two years of age because our children will need to be adept with computers. Numerous computer programs teach numbers, colors, shapes, and pre-reading skills. Most children enjoy these games, which is great because the programs are very educational and promote the active involvement of children. If using computer programs you need to be careful because they can be more addictive than television. When using them, use them as enrichment, not as a substitute for your attention and involvement.