How preschool activities promote toddler development

How a toddler’s time and attention are spent carries great importance as they transition into formal education. This is why it’s so important for toddler programs to engage in educational activities that encourage positive development and the learning of new skills. Let’s look at a few ways that hands-on activities, in and out of school, support your little one’s growth.

Gross Motor Skills

During the toddler years, children are still working on developing their fine motor skills. This includes holding pencils and crayons, picking up small items, and their overall hand-eye coordination. Hands-on activities can help toddlers work on all of these skills. Improving fine motor skills at a young age can help children be better prepared for handwriting exercises and assignments later on.

Sequencing

Sequencing is a crucial cognitive skill that can be introduced in a child’s earliest years with highly interactive activities. For instance, storytelling with picture cards gives them the ability to arrange events in the correct order. Similar sequencing of events can be demonstrated in songs and nursery rhymes with specific movements tied to certain melodies and lyrics. These fun activities reinforce their understanding of progression.

Following Instructions

Oftentimes, activities involving some level of tactility and interaction are multi-step. Simple tasks like building block towers or completing puzzles encourage them to listen and understand step-by-step directions to achieve a goal. A hands-on art project like making slime gives your child the opportunity to practice being patient while listening to directions.

Teamwork

When toddlers are paired up or put into groups for class activities, they’ll learn how to work together and cooperate to achieve a goal. Needless to say, this is a lifelong skill that can be nurtured in many ways. Playing with large building sets, such as LEGOs, in a group setting encourages sharing and joint problem-solving. Cleanup time can also be a team activity, as toddlers work together to tidy up their play area.

These are just a few of the valuable skills and lessons that toddlers learn through various hands-on activities. According to U.S. News, there are more than 30,000 private schools in the United States today. If you’re looking for quality, supportive toddler programs for your child, please contact Key Point Academy Aventura today. We look forward to speaking with you about our wonderful curriculum!