A regular theme in my coaching practice for parents is to remind them that they don’t have to go out and buy the newest toys to entertain their young ones. Very often, we can look around the home and find everyday objects that make for just as joyful and purposeful play.
Placing sets of paired objects in a cloth bag is one such way to be resourceful and offer your child an educational activity at the same time. By inviting your child to reach into the bag and feel for the matching objects, they will exercise their stereognostic sense, which is the ability to recognize from using only tactile information.
This game also allows your toddler to develop their sense of curiosity and work with their fingers, building new connections between their rational-thinking mind and the physical world around them.
As anyone from the Montessori method will tell you, this is a much-preferred alternative to placing your child in front of a digital device, which essentially numbs their minds rather than offers any practical development. What we provide the child in this activity is the gift of sensorial learning.
Believe it or not, some children are unfortunately being treated for iPad addiction … Children these days will be unable to stack a set of play blocks with their hands and fingers if they only know how to swipe them across a screen!
P.S. Would you like my support and guidance setting-up your Montessori home? If, yes then go ahead and schedule a ‘Discovery Session’ with me. It’s free and you’ll know if we are a good fit. 😉