• RAISING CHILDREN:
  Is play necessary for development?
  “Absolutely — it's crucial for your child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive growth. Play is your child's way of learning about his body and the world, and he'll use all five senses to do it, especially in the first year. Development experts are fond of saying that play is the work of children (and cleaning up after play seems to be the work of parents).
  
  As your child gets older and moves into the toddler years, his play will become more imaginative and complex. At this age, playing becomes an important way to exercise key skills and qualities such as independence, creativity, curiosity, and problem-solving. It can also be an important place to explore feelings and values and develop social skills. “
  
  How can I make the most of my child’s playtime?
• Think of playtime as more than toy time. Playing is really any enjoyable activity that involves people, objects, or movement. Everything from blowing bubbles at each other to singing songs to splashing in the tub to chasing each other around the room qualifies. Any parent who's seen a 12-month-old enthralled by a cardboard box knows that play is whatever you do with what's in front of you.
• Introduce play activities when your baby is happy and rested, suggests Marilyn Segal, Ph.D., a developmental psychologist and author of the Your Child at Play series.
• Stop when your child's had enough. Children have different thresholds for stimulation. When yours seems bored, fussy, or tired, it's time for a break.
• Give your child a chance to play alone and with others. Both types of play are beneficial.
• Let your child choose the activities and control the direction of his play. You can suggest new things or present new options, but your child should be the boss. After all, play is about fun, and if there's one thing your child is an expert at already, it's having a good time. Follow his lead and you'll be surprised what a blast you can have, too.
  
  Boost Your Child’s Brainpower!
• Enhance your child’s language skills through reading.
  · Improve math & reasoning skills through music. Studies have shown that musical study develops critical thinking and spatial reasoning skills.
  
  Unleash Creativity through Art! (Here are some ideas…)
• Play with toys that aid the creative thinking process, such as jigsaw puzzles and building blocks.
• Read well-written and illustrated, age-appropriate books to show your toddler examples of fine writing and art.
• Bookmaking: Use photos and pictures from magazines to make books, scrapbooks and collages.
  · Brush painting: Let her imagination run wild with a paintbrush and tempera paints.
  · Coloring: Give your toddler various sizes and shades of paper to make her creation.
  · Finger painting: This art form remains a favorite amongst toddlers. Just squeeze some paints on a paper plate, and lay out large pieces of paper. Don't forget the smock and a drop cloth for the floor.
  · Molding clay: Rolling, squeezing and making imprints on clay are great creative outlets for your toddler.
  · Rubber stamping: Fun-shaped rubber stamps provide a great teaching tool for your child.
  · Sponge painting: Dip differently shaped sponges in tempera paint and make imprints on paper.2