The Importance of Play: Toddler
to School-Age
Copyright
Copyright © Texas Education Agency, 2013. These Materials are copyrighted © and trademarked
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Types of Play
Solitary Play
Parallel Play
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Types of Play
Associative Play
Cooperative Play
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Physical Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Helps toddlers develop large muscle
coordination and balance
Encourage large and small muscle
development
Encourage eye-hand coordination
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Physical Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Encourage use of climbing
equipment, such as inclines or
sturdy boxes
Helps toddlers develop large muscle
coordination and balance
Provide a safe area and a target for Encourage large and small muscle
toddlers to throw small, soft objects development
Put toys and objects where they can Encourage eye-hand coordination
reach, grasp, and move them
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Emotional Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Consistently smile and laugh to
show happiness. Use a firm voice
and no smile to show anger
Helps toddlers develop confidence
in recognizing emotions in others
Provide opportunities and props for
acting out fear, insecurity, joy, and
anger
Encourage toddlers to express
emotions and resolve conflicts
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Social Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Provide ample materials and toys so
sharing may be encouraged but not
required
Helps toddlers develop a positive
self-concept
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Cognitive Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Helps toddlers develop concept of
object permanence. Encourage
toddlers to investigate cause and
effect relationships
Helps toddlers develop vocabulary
and encourage talking
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twelve to Eighteen Months
Cognitive Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Hide toys while toddlers watch. Ask
them to find the toys. Praise
successful efforts. Provide time and
materials that encourage toddlers
to search and identify the cause of
certain actions, such as rolling a ball
under a chair
Helps toddlers develop concept of
object permanence. Encourage
toddlers to investigate cause and
effect relationships
Play sound games. Point out a
picture of an animal and make the
sound it makes
Helps toddlers develop vocabulary
and encourage talking
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Toddlers from Eighteen to TwentyFour Months
Toddlers in this age group
gain more control over
large muscles and continue
to develop fine motor skills.
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months
Physical Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Encourage large muscle control and
coordination
Encourage large muscle control and
coordination. Helps toddlers
develop balance
Help toddlers develop small muscle
control and coordination
Encourage small muscle skills and
creativity
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months
Physical Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Provide an area for kicking a ball
into a cardboard box or a corner
Encourage large muscle control and
coordination
Provide a space for fast and slow
riding of cycles, turning curves, and
riding in circles
Encourage large muscle control and
coordination. Helps toddlers
develop balance
Provides materials, such as zipper
boards and jars with lids, to
stimulate manipulation
Help toddlers develop small muscle
control and coordination
Provide markers and crayons
Encourage small muscle skills and
creativity
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months
Emotional Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Communicate verbally and
nonverbally to toddlers during
playtime
Encourage self-expression of
emotions and develop self-esteem
Listen to toddlers’ fears and
fantasies
Help toddlers develop self-esteem
Allow toddlers to show intense
swings in emotions and behavior
Help toddlers develop self-esteem
and encourage emotional
expression and self-control of
behavior
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months
Social Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Understand that toddlers think that
others feel and think as they do
Encourage a positive self-image and
help establish identity
Help the toddler identify and
express verbally the feelings others
show in their behavior
Encourages awareness of others
and their feelings
Encourage and work beside toddlers Encourage desirable social traits
who want to help clean up
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Eighteen to Twenty-Four Months
Cognitive and Language Development
Caregiver Strategy
Objective
Allow toddler time to work out
solutions to puzzles
Help toddlers develop use of mental
trial and error skills
Identify ideas or themes in toddlers’
symbolic play that seem important
to them
Help identify areas important to
fulfilling the toddlers’ needs
Recognize meanings of toddlers’
use of words
Provide insight into the toddlers’
meaning of different words and
concepts
Patiently answer toddlers’ questions Help toddlers develop proper
in simple, clear, short sentences
language skills through imitation of
positive model
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Child’s Telescope
Cognitive Connections

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


Classification
Recognition
Language and vocabulary
Joint attention
Perspective taking
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twenty-Four to Thirty Months
Physical
Development
Emotional
Development
Social
Development
Cognitive and
Language
Development
24-30 months
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Twenty-Four to Thirty Months
24-30 months
Physical
Development
Emotional
Development
Social
Development
Cognitive and
Language
Development
Play games
with toddlers
Provide
activities
where
toddlers can
succeed
Provide
materials that
require
sharing
Allow toddlers
to create their
own
classifications
of actions,
objects, or
behaviors
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Child’s Puppets
Cognitive Connections



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Imagination
Abstract thinking
Language
Sequencing
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Teaching Strategies for Toddlers from
Thirty to Thirty-Six Months
30-36 months
Physical
Development
Emotional
Development
Social
Development
Cognitive and
Language
Development
Play games
and sing
songs which
include
jumping,
clapping,
running in
place, and
walking
Reinforce
toddlers’
excitement
with learning
Use daily
routines to
help control
wait time
Have toddlers
use art to
represent
objects,
feelings, or
ideas
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Play, Literacy, and Development for
Toddlers



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Math
Science
Physical movement
Outdoor play
Art
Music
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Role of Play in Growth and
Development of the Preschool Child
 Play is the work of children
 Playing for children is learning
 Offer a variety of different learning activities
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Language and General Knowledge
for Preschoolers
Provide your child opportunities to play
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Language and General Knowledge
for Preschoolers
Support and guide your child as he or she learns a new
activity
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Appropriate Development Activities
for School-Age Children
Appropriate development activities for school-age
children should include several strategies. These
children are:
 learning to see things from the viewpoint of others
 using deductive and inductive reasoning
 noting transformations
 focusing on more than one part
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Be Creative in Guiding Play of SchoolAge Children
 Expect wishes, rhymes, and
jokes.
 Expect monster stories and
games with exact rules.
 Be prepared for and expect
children to sometimes be
bored.
 Create celebrations for fun
and learning.
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Be Creative in Guiding Play of SchoolAge Children
 Encourage role-playing to
let children express their
feelings and give them a
chance to pretend.
 Encourage their love of
drama through skits.
 Support their enthusiasm
for joining club.
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The Crucial Role of Play in Early
Childhood
The Importance of Play
(click on link)
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Promoting Healthy Brain
Development
Brain Development Through Play
(click on link)
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Special Needs Children and Play
 Promote positive
interactions by providing
materials and learning
experiences which
encourage cooperation.
 Plan learning experiences
that give children a
chance to interact
positively.
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Special Needs Children and Play
The Power of Play
(click on link)
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The Education of Children
The education of children shapes their own personal
development and life chances, as well as the
economic and social progress of our Nation.
• Reading to young children
• Mathematics and reading achievement
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References and Resources
Microsoft Clip Art: Used with permission from Microsoft.
Textbook:
Decker, C. (2011). Child development: Early stages through age 12. (5th ed.). Tinley Park: Goodheart-Willcox Company.
Websites:
AblePlay
AblePlayTM is a toy rating system and website that provides comprehensive information on toys for children with special needs. AblePlay was created
so parents, special educators, therapists and others can make the best decisions when purchasing products for children in their lives with disabilities.
http://www.ableplay.org/content/search-products
AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS
Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children: The Pediatrician’s Role
Articles on appropriate toys for young children
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/111/4/911.full
Fat Brain Toys
Toys, games, and tools for children and adults with special developmental needs.
http://www.fatbraintoys.com/special_needs/index.cfm
Lekotek
The country’s central source on toys and play for children with special needs.
Top Ten tips for choosing toys for children.
http://www.lekotek.org/resources/informationontoys/tentips.html
National Association for the Education of Young Children
Articles and information on children
http://www.naeyc.org
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References and Resources
YouTube™:
Promoting Healthy Brain Development: You Can Make A Difference
Learn how you can make a difference in young children's brain development through everyday activities. Visit www.bbbgeorgia.org for
more information.
http://youtu.be/prbLhqBsx4M
Special Needs Kids and the Power of Play
Video demonstrating the healing power of fun and toys for children with disabilities and their families.
http://youtu.be/pwWeW7PTB_w
The Crucial Role of Play in Early Childhood
This video was created to demonstrate the importance of play for young children. The slide show is set to "Upside down" by Jack
Johnson.
http://youtu.be/8KtUhKVFjJI
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