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Birth to two...
dropping games
Babies and toddlers aren’t just dropping objects for the fun of it, Penny Tassoni explains
PHOTO ADOBE STOCK
B
y nine months or so, most
babies have discovered a
wonderful game. They
drop a spoon, sock or toy
onto the floor and watch
as an adult picks it up.
Once the item is returned it is soon
dropped again. While few adults see
this as an educational game, it actually has plenty of developmental benefits that are worth exploring.
explore the relationship between
size, shape and speed (cognitive)
lsupport co-ordination as children
handle objects and learn to control
them (physical)
lprovide babies and toddlers with
an opportunity to lead a game and
so develop confidence (emotional)
lsupport children’s attachments
with their key person and other
children (emotional).
WHEN AND HOW
Most babies and toddlers discover
this game by chance when they inadvertently drop a spoon or beaker
from a highchair. Once you have
seen that this is happening, you can
develop it into an activity in its own
right. While you could carry this
activity out using a highchair, the
danger is that under-twos will associate the highchair with dropping
things and this could prove problematic at mealtimes.
lChoose a time when the baby or
toddler is not tired or hungry.
lPut the child on your lap with a
ball, spoon or other safe object.
lDrop the item and say a phrase
such as ‘Oh no!’
lPick up the item and pass it to the
baby or toddler.
lSee if they drop it in imitation.
lMake eye contact and repeat the
phrase if they do.
lRepeat the game until the baby or
toddler becomes restless.
lUse a different object to vary the
game.
NEXT STEPS
Once you feel that a baby or toddler
has mastered dropping as a game,
you might like to introduce posting
games where babies and toddlers
drop items down tubes.
DEVELOPMENTAL BENEFITS
From a developmental point of view,
dropping games are wonderful
opportunities for children to explore
a range of concepts including size,
sound and shape. Dropping games
also help babies and toddlers to lead
and initiate a game. Dropping games:
lhelp babies and toddlers learn to
play and take turns (social skills)
lhelp children associate key words
with actions and objects (language)
lencourage babies and toddlers to
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It is worth
explaining
to parents
that this can
encourage
hand-eye
co-ordination
as well as
language
WHAT TO OBSERVE
There are several aspects of development that are worth observing:
Hand movements Watch how babies
manipulate objects before dropping
them. Look to see whether they consciously are able to drop an item.
Vocalisations If you always say a
phrase when an item is dropped, does
the baby or toddler try to imitate the
sound?
Communication Observe how babies
and toddlers communicate that they
want you to pick up an item that they
have dropped. Do they point to an
item or make a vocalisation?
Eye contact Note whether babies and
toddlers initiate eye contact with you
before dropping the item, thus showing intent to play.
It is worth explaining to parents that
this is part of development and can
encourage hand-eye co-ordination as
well as language. If parents start to
use the same phrases when items are
dropped, their babies and toddlers
will soon learn associated words.
While in the ideal world, parents
will have plenty of time to play dropping games, the reality is that babies
and toddlers will sometimes choose
inconvenient moments to try to play
– such as dropping food or beakers at
mealtimes, or shoes, hats and socks
while in a pushchair. It can be helpful
for parents to know that using a distraction technique will be the best
way to bring the game to an end. This
might mean showing the child a
book, pulling funny faces or taking
the child out from the highchair to do
something else.
HOME LEARNING
Many parents may not realise that
their child is attempting to play with
them as they throw items overboard.
BOOK TIME
Look out for some simple picture books that illustrate
objects that are familiar to babies and toddlers. This can
help them associate objects with sounds and so develop
their language skills. A favourite baby book that does this
is The Baby’s Catalogue by Allan and Janet Ahlberg.
RHYME TIME
Many lovely rhymes have a theme of
dropping or falling that can be used
with children, including the classic
‘Ten green bottles’, which can easily
be adapted or shortened or adapted
to, for example, ‘Ten green bottles sitting on the wall…’
You can hear the tune and see the
words to this traditional rhyme by
visiting www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Ak7kedzR8bg. n
19 SEPTEMBER-2 OCTOBER 2016 NURSERY WORLD 21