Toddlers are constantly making connections, as they start to understand the world around them.
They might spend lots of time doing a certain activity, like moving all the sand out of a sandpit or putting little passengers into a toy bus over and over again.
By repeating actions, they start to understand how objects and ideas connect, and through a concept called cause and effect, they learn that their actions can have interesting results. Play, doesn't just keep them busy, it's essential for brain development.
Doing a puzzle for example, involves recognising shapes and colours, picking up a piece of the puzzle, looking at it, deciding which way is up, where it might go? And then placing it, uses lots of skills. Hand eye coordination, memory and imagination and fine motor skills - that's the small fine tuned hand movements that we all use for doing all sorts of everyday tasks.
Right, now, who's tidying up?
Play is a huge part of learning for toddlers.
You might have noticed that they like to repeat the same actions over and over again when playing. But did you know that this was helping them to recognise patterns and learn?
Image caption, Toddlers are constantly making connections as they start to understand the world around them.
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