Growing up in rural upstate New York . . . think Lake Ontario, not Westchester . . . I spent the lazy, hazy days of August making shoes out of the tall grasses that had been mowed along the creek (read that “crick”. . . not creek) and babysitting my baby brother out on a blanket under the tree on the side of our house while he played with empty boxes and Tupperware cereal bowls.
Fast forward 15 years and I found myself the mom of the first grandchild on both sides of the family. You’d have thought that Sarah was the next toy buyer for FAO Schwartz based upon the tons of toys that were laid at her tiny feet. Imagine my parents’ and in-laws’ dismay when she bequeathed the toys to the dog and threw herself into mad passionate love with . . . the boxes. Then her brother David, who not only had his own toy portfolio, but also his sister’s very gently used hand-me-downs, amped up the box frenzy to include huge (but ever so versatile) appliance boxes.
It can be difficult to keep yourself and your family from getting sucked into the “Ooooo . . . isn’t that a neat toy” frenzy. Funny thing is, many an adult has been sorely disappointed when their baby ditches the new cool toy, only to squeal with delight as she throws the box it came in up into the air and bops it around. The truth is the box actually holds more interest and learning opportunities than many toys.
When you think about what babies and toddlers like to do — chew, bang, stack, dump and throw — boxes, plastic bowls, wooden spoons and rolled up socks make much better toys. These “batteries not necessary” toys provide babies with the opportunity to develop eye-hand coordination, figure out how things work, develop language skills, use their imagination and creativity and problem solve. Best of all, these types of playthings don’t break or wear out, are easily replaced for free and they don’t outgrow them. Most importantly, babies need time, space and an adult who supports and is thrilled by their play. For more on that, read the Preschool column on page 28.
Sock & Roll
Take those orphaned socks off the top of your dryer and put them to work. Help baby to:
- Develop eye-hand coordination by having her toss them into the laundry basket or play “catch” with them (boo-boo free).
- Learn colors and math by letting him sort the sock balls by colors or sort by big and small.
- Develop language skills by using unrolled socks to make easy puppets (slip over your hand, no faces needed) and have wonderful sock conversations.
Writing & Arithmetic Baby Style:
Looking at picture books and turning the pages of board books prepares babies to become better readers.
Rattles, balls, pots and pans help babies develop eye-hand coordination that is necessary to learn to write.
Stacking boxes and bowls and cups offer babies the opportunity to experience problem solving (why won’t this bowl stay on top of the smaller bowl?) and math (how many little boxes will fit into the big box?).