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SpeakJoy Center for Development

Serving children. Coaching parents. Training professionals.

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Together We Talk

@speakjoycenter

Have you ever had this experience? You have spent

Have you ever had this experience? You have spent months researching the BEST toys for your child for her birthday.
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You have chosen a super cool, developmentally supportive gift that lights up and sings and spins around and says all the letters of the alphabet.
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At her birthday party, your child unwraps your CAREFULLY chosen gift and she plays with it for a total of 11.2 seconds before moving on the play with the box it came in for the next three hours.
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Super frustrating! 😖
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Why does this happen? 🤔
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Most toys that require batteries have a limited number of things that they can do. There are only a few ways your child can play with that toy so the novelty wears off quickly.
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A box, on the other hand, is an amazing toy! There are so many ways a child can play with a box. Depending on it’s size, she can push it, sit in it, or build with it. It can become a table, a rocket ship, or a bed. The possibilities are endless.📦
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A simple rule to keep in mind . . .
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Avoid toys with batteries!
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Your child and your future self will thank me!
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SHARE THIS with a friend who might be toy shopping as we speak! ✨

What kind of toys are beat for your child? The ans

What kind of toys are beat for your child? The answer: open-ended materials or loose parts - the kind of things you find in all parts of your house! Don’t spend money on toys! Just open up your cupboards! ✨#loosepartsplay #openendedplay #openendedtoys #moreforless

This weekend, I did something that I don’t usual

This weekend, I did something that I don’t usually do. I sat. Outside. For a long time. Not. Doing. Anything.

I listened to the wind. I watch the trees. I looked at the sky.

It was glorious!

There is something about nature and natural things that our minds and bodies crave.

And the natural world is a TREASURE TROVE of amazing {free} toys for children.

Think about all the ways these “toys” can be used in play.
✨sticks
✨shells
✨pinecones
✨driftwood
✨rocks

Here are some ideas to get you started!

MOVEMENT
☑️build a building
☑️create a face

LANGUAGE
☑️sort by size or length or color
☑️talk about similarities and differences
☑️describe the texture or color of the objects

PLAY
☑️pinecones make great figurines and sticks can delineate rooms in a pretend house or store
☑️shells become great plates and cups in a pretend tea party

READING
☑️take pictures of your child’s creations and make a “book” on PowerPoint to read together to revisit her creations

The possibilities are endless! Which is the GREAT thing about loose parts.

Free, fun, and it supports development better than most traditional toys (Trawick-Smith et al., 2014).🙌🏼

How has your child used natural “toys” in play?

Research Source:
Trawick-Smith, J., Wolff, J., Koschel, M., & Vallarelli, J. (2014). Preschool: Which Toys Promote High-Quality Play? Reflections on the Five-Year Anniversary of the TIMPANI Study. YC Young Children, 69(2), 40-46. https://tinyurl.com/vw9xfrkc

Let's talk about toys! **** When we think of toys

Let's talk about toys!
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When we think of toys for our kids, we often think of traditional toys.
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Traditional toys purchased at a store like Target or from an online store like Amazon are frequently created for a single purpose. Think of a horn than makes noise when you push the buttons.
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The purpose of toys that are marketed to us (or to our children) is to entertain. Sometimes they are billed as "educational" but still typically have flashy lights or make sounds, which is essentially for entertainment.
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And it only takes a quick walk down the toy aisle at Target to know that the majority of toys on the market are made of plastic.
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Now let's look at loose part play toys . . .
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Toys that are loose parts are objects that are open ended.
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They don't have a single purpose but can be repurposed over and over for many things. Think of a colander. It can be used to carry objects, worn as a hat, used as a base for a building structure, or used in water play.
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Toys that are loose parts help children solve problems.
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A marketer or a child development expert has not figured it all out ahead of time. Nothing is pre-scripted. As children play with loose parts, they encounter problems (like a block tower falling down when placed on a wobbly base) and keep play until they find a solution.
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Toys that are loose parts are often found in nature or made of natural materials.
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Things from nature that could serve as toys are pinecones, sticks, flowers, and water. Other materials made from natural materials are metal mason jar rings, felt balls, woven baskets, and metal spoons.
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What is your child's favorite toy?

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#loosepartsplay
#openendedplay
#playingislearning
#childledplay
#imaginaryplay
#learningthroughplay
#playtolearn
#toddlerplayideas
#playdatefun
#funplay
#playschool
#playschoolactivities
#babyplayideas
#playideasfortoddlers
#playideasforbabies
#quickeasyplay
#finemotorplay
#simpleplayideas
#learningthroughplaying
#earlyyearsplay
#playlearngrow
#sensoryplayideas
#shareyourplaywithme
#everydayplay
#smallworldplay
#littlelearner
#littlelearners
#heuristicplay

"There’s an energy that comes from happiness and

"There’s an energy that comes from happiness and optimism that doesn’t just bless us – it builds everyone around us."
Sharon Eubank

Happiness and optimism are in short supply right now. But the good news is they can both be generated, created, and crafted! By each of us!

What's one thing that has happened today made you happy?

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