„Play is not child's play, it has great seriousness and deep meaning“

That is what the educator Friedrich Fröbel once wrote at the beginning of the 19th century. That is true, but it does not mean that parents should treat their child's free play with seriousness. Insisting that every playful action must serve developmental promotion robs play of its freedom and uniqueness. Be proud of every small step, every joyful smile of your baby. Trust is the most beautiful gift you can give a child at play.

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Don't 'overfeed' your child with too many offers.Place only one or two toys at a time on itsplay mat, with which it can concentrate for the time to come. After a few days you can rotate the toys. Play together, offer suggestions, but also allow your baby to play alone under supervision for a while. Even the smallest ones love to try out new things, immersed in their own world: nibbling, squeezing, turning, rolling & pushing – each child has its own pace. Playing means intensive learning and gaining new perspectives, in a gentle, sensory way.

Playing is fun. Playing makes you smart.

When playing, your child switches all senses to receive – and embarks on a great journey of exploration with eyes, ears, hands and mouth. Every loving encouragement, every new impression uniquely shapes your child's personality. Experience together, day by day, the fascination of discovering something new and unique. Play is a first-class learning program, because there is no 'wrong', only a 'try again'! And when your baby is deeply absorbed in play, give them peace and time. Nothing else is then worth a distraction.

In the first months of life, grasping, seeing, hearing – the development of the senses – are highly important. Babies love bright colors, sounds and interesting textures to feel – in toys, for examplegrasping toys in different materials,rattles, mobiles, soft toys. The smaller the children are, the more 'grasping' and 'understanding', 'holding' and 'perceiving' are linked together. In toddlerhood, things that can be moved become exciting:fabric balls, ride-on cars, tricycles. Hand-sized building blocks or crayons that let the little ones 'create something' themselves are also interesting now.

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Children learn through effort. The little ones are proud when they have achieved something themselves. Has the rattle slipped from your baby's hand and is it now struggling to catch it? Don't jump in right away; allow it to really make an effort to reach the goal on its own. Parents are best able to judge when the baby really needs help and when it is just a little too comfortable. Give it the chance to feel strong through experiences of success.

How quickly your baby learns

Babies' ability to learn is fascinating. Never again will a person learn so much in such a short time. Through sensory stimulation, experiences and discoveries the young brain matures. Driven by natural curiosity and the joy of exploration, babies and toddlers not only sharpen their senses but also develop their motor skills, learn basic laws of nature, and practise concentration and attention. To keep the joy of learning, it is important that encouragement happens without pressure. Even very young babies clearly signal by turning their face away when they have had enough new impressions. Respect such signals, because quiet breaks are important to process and consolidate what has been learned.

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Room to play. Even if your little one is not mobile yet, give them plenty of freedom of movement. They need it to train their muscles and practise movement patterns. Therefore do not put them in a seat or rocker for longer than necessary. They are better off on a soft blanket on the floor with interesting things to look at and grasp, where they can try out to their heart's content what they can do with arms, legs and their whole body.

Image credits

Baby sitting in bed holding a toothbrush © gpointstudio – stock.adobe.com