- happens

Children learning
while hard at pray |

PUT-TOGETHER toys
are one of the two
greatest fascinations
for children, starting
from a few months of
age up through adoles-
cence.

The other great fascina-
tion is playing “‘pretend’’.

Very young children (ess
than a year old) will
repeatedly spend long
periods of time filling and
emptying various containers
with things. ft allows them
to practise their
manipulative dexterity,

This new-found talent
gives them ‘‘power’’ over
their environment at theiz
own discretion. It also helps
them develop hand-eye
coordination, left-right ori-
entation, hand-hand correla-
tion, spatial awareness,
muscle :trength, a sense of
self-worth, and a feeling of
achievement.

For infants and toddlers,
creating such opportunities
is quite easy. Yoghurt, mar-
garine and ice cream tubs
can be good play containers.
The ‘‘things’’ can be toilet
paper rolls, large beads,
small container lids and
much more. :

When. choosing things,
make sure they’re at least
one inch or more in at least
two out of three dimensions,
(to avoid choking).

Purchased playthings en-
courage the same involve-
ment: nesting beakers,
shape-sorting boxes, simple
threading boards, jumbo
lacing beads (which are often
used for sorting at early

pump, fill, and empty. There
are never two identical pours
of a fluid. No matter how
often repeated, the process

and results are never the
same.

Kids are also discovering
basic

scientific properties

during this fun: gravity, ca-
pacity, balance, viscosity,
density and friction, all by
experiencing the environ-
ment in a concrete way. No
wonder it has become a
common-known fact that
over half of human learning
takes place before the age of
five years old

One of the longest-range
investments in put-together

ages, without the threading [R

cord), and other basic toys-

Some best-loved.
things which fulfill such
tendencies don’t result- in
anything being specifically

put-together, especially for -

younger toddlers..

A’ traditional’ favorite ° is
the. peg-pounding board,
with a wooden mallet to hit
large pegs through holes in a
wooden bench. When pro-
perly designed, so that the
holes are adjustable, preven-
ting pegs from: jamming or
slipping through too easily in
climates with humidity and

_. temperature changes, this -
, toy.is also the outlet for ag-

gression and ‘energy: that
might otherwise be turned
on siblings,
family pets.

From two years, on,
children enjoy put-together

playthings, like pegboards, | |

detailed threading | shapes,
mosaic tiles, puzzles, > .and

- early games such as dice..'§

‘throwing, spinner turning,
player moving, card turning.

Manipulative fun ‘also
with sand and
water. Whether playing on
the beach or in the bathtub,

. children enjoy the’ various

ways in which they can pour,
mold, sift, dig, splash, carry,

play--

furniture ‘or "’

; |
by Pat Gallaher

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10" Lollipop Trees, 6 ft. Ficus Nitida)
10" Dragon Trees, 4 stalk, 5-6 ft. fantastic
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61 - Friday, November 1, 1985 ~ North Shore News

toys is also the most diverse
and involving over the years:
construction sets. Construc-
uion sets allow children to
create their own play en-
vironment) in which they
then create their own unique
role-play.

ova od Nov. 2, ‘i985

"Carson Graham Sec. Schoor |
~ 2145, Jones "SL, ’ North Van,

kids
at play

Puppetry, both simple for
toddlers and more com-
plicated for older children,
gives children the chance to
use different combinations
of hand movements to work
the puppets while they're ac-
ting out their pretend play.

Childhood is an adventure
of exploration. Well-chosen
playthings create oppor-
tunities for discovery.

GIVE BLOOD. GIVE LIFE!

Hemophiliacs and Red Cross
are Counting on you!

Sale § days only
Oct 30th to Nov. 3rd

Regular 45.00-50.00 only 29.95

801 Marine Drive, North Van
in Capilano Village 986- 1101