Play-based, thoughtfully curated objects grounded in research
Why these objects?
Open-ended objects are the most appropriate toys for infants and toddlers as they require the child to be active in their play. This is supported by over 75 years of research that has taken place in The Pikler House.
When a toy has a specific purpose, it limits the opportunities for the baby to be creative and self-directed in their play. Battery-operated toys also allow limited opportunities for learning and active exploration.
A quote from Magda Gerber (founder of RIE® and the Educaring® Approach) that I like to keep in mind when choosing play objects is: “Passive toys make for active infants and active toys make passive infants.”
The simpler the toy, the more creativity and ingenuity your baby or toddler can bring to their play. Many commercial baby toys have too much texture and patterns. One or two textures, patterns or colours is plenty for young infants. It is easier to build early concepts of shape and pattern with simple toys.
Open-ended objects are ideal toys at any stage of development. Your child will change how they use them as they grow, finding new opportunities to challenge themselves.
Offering a variety of open-ended materials presents endless possibilities for exploration, supporting your child to take charge of their play and learning.
Providing a selection of objects in different sizes, weights, textures and materials allows sensory exploration, classification, ordering and investigation of relationships between objects.
Overall, these objects support each child’s inner drive to learn, celebrate the child’s capabilities, and encourage problem-solving, creativity and experimentation.
Note: Sometimes practitioners of Magda Gerber’s Educaring Approach call toys “play objects” this is because we often provide babies and toddlers with items that wouldn’t typically be referred to as toys. I use the terms play objects and toys interchangeably.
What should you look out for before you introduce toys?
For newborns, watching the world around them and organising their body are their most important play.
You will notice your baby begin to explore their hands, first, by chance, and over time with more intention.
They explore their hands in the same ways they will eventually explore objects.
This time they spend exploring their hands is important work! Your baby first needs to learn how to use their hands so they can understand how to control and use them, so they can later use them to support their exploration of toys or play objects.
Once you have noticed your baby regularly exploring their hands, it might be time to introduce a play object. The section on the scarf below details how to introduce the first play object.
Creating space for self-directed learning through play
Let play belong to your child. Your role is to create a safe, enriching environment where they can explore, experiment and engage in uninterrupted play autonomously.
For a newborn, this safe space may be their cot. For older infants and toddlers, a playpen or gated play area is more appropriate. There needs to be enough space for them to move, but having the clear boundary of a fence and gate makes it clear to your child where their special space is. Janet Lansbury calls this a “yes space”.
An essential proponent of this space is that everything in the space is safe for your child. You want your baby to feel relaxed and comfortable in this space so that they can engage for extended periods of time. When babies are distracted by adults’ worries about safety and need to intervene with redirection or saying no, it impacts their ability to engage.
You can support your child’s creativity and attention span by introducing toys without showing them how to use them. By refraining from sharing your ideas on how to use the object, your baby will come up with their own activities and ways to use the toys! They will also truly own any discoveries they make. Allowing time for self-directed play builds the child’s internal concept of themselves as a capable learner.
When your baby is not being held or cared for, placing them on their back to move freely helps them discover and take control of their body. The Educaring approach recommends placing your baby on their back on a sturdy surface because this position supports them best and allows the most freedom to move their arms, legs and body. In this position, babies can also see and hear better, breathe with more ease, and not feel constrained or tense. The back is the position that gives the most stability and opportunity. From this position your baby can more easily see you, and it’s also the perfect position to eventually discover their hands.
Janet Lansbury reminds us, “Play is a natural inclination for babies and they love it, but it’s up to us to begin the habit – to make it an essential part of their day. Young infants can (and will) let us know when they need to be held, but it is nearly impossible for a months-old baby to indicate “I’d like a little time to move freely and do what I want”. And doing what I want is the key to play therapy.”
Safety note:
You know your baby best! Please consider the appropriateness of each of the objects in the pack. It’s important you determine when it is safe for your baby to use each of these items.
When considering the safety of an object think about:
Can I clean it?
Is it too large to swallow or lodge in my baby’s nose or ear?
If the object can cover the nose and mouth, is it breathable?
Care:
Regularly check the objects for signs of wear and tear to ensure they are still safe to play with.
The plastic and silicone items can be hand-washed in warm soapy water.
Wipe timber items with a soft cloth using detergent and water. Do not submerge or soak. If they are beginning to dry out, you can coat with this food safe wax available in Bunnings.
The metal objects can be hand washed in warm soapy water and are dishwasher safe.
The fabric items can be washed in a washing machine on a regular cold wash with like-minded colours.
Observe, observe, observe
As with everything, observation of your child is key! They are a human being with ideas and agency. See how they choose to initiate play with these objects.
By observing your child, you will notice how much they are doing. If they are not yet ready to use play objects, you will see them gazing at a tree moving outside, or the light on the wall, or working to integrate jerky primitive reflexes (which is really important for later motor development). Each time we interrupt a baby’s musings, we break their focus and unintentionally discourage their concentration.
As Magda reminds us, “Observe more, do less. Do less, enjoy more.”
Begin with the scarf:
This play object is the first Magda Gerber recommended you introduce to your baby. Why?
It is easy to grasp with limited dexterity.
It is soft and light, and won't hurt if it falls or drops on their face or body.
Breathable, so if it covers their face, it is still safe.
Manipulatable in endless ways
Of the objects in the Play Pack, this is the safest object.
How to introduce the scarf:
Place it in a peaked position to make it vertical.
Alongside your child and within a foot or so of their head and torso.
It’s a good idea to always place toys alongside or close to your child to give them the choice of how to explore the object and if they want to grasp it.
Be aware this progress of play with the scarf may take place over days or weeks, so allow lots of time for your baby to go at their own pace.
At first, they might accidentally glance at the scarf in their play space.
They might spend time purposefully looking at the scarf.
They might accidentally brush their hand or arm on the peaked scarf.
They might reach and grasp the scarf.
Once it’s in their grasp, they might:
Shake their arm and watch how the scarf moves.
Bring the scarf close to their eyes to view it closely.
Bring the scarf to their mouth and suck on the scarf.
As they become more familiar with the properties of the scarf, they will use it in new ways.
Further opportunities:
Scarves are ideal toys that can be used in numerous ways across infancy and toddlerhood. Your child will come up with ideas on how to use it beyond what I have listed here. Remember to observe and see their autonomous ideas!
A safe object to have as a comforter/soothing object
Peepo or peek-a-boo games
Blanket for toys
Useful for enveloping and hiding objects.
Other items in the play pack
This set of objects provides a variety of play opportunities for infants and toddlers. Babies are inclined to examine every inch of a simple object. The objects included in your play pack have been intentionally curated. Some opportunities these objects offer include:
Variety of materials: Plastic, silicone, timber, metal, fabric—offers sensory exploration (textures, tastes, sounds, differing properties, etc.).
Rolling objects: Hair rollers and cups roll, providing opportunities for exploration of trajectories and rotation.
Sensory sounds: Noise from chain links, condiment cups, and other objects when struck.
Visual exploration: Holes in mesh lid, buttons, and rollers to see how light interacts with objects. The reflection of light against the metal objects.
Tactile differences: The objects' variety of shapes and sizes require different levels of dexterity to pick up and explore them.
Investigating hollowness: Pegs fit through the rollers and the timber and mason jar rings. Hands/feet and other objects can also pass through the mason jar rings.
Collecting: The silicone dish, cups, and bag can hold items (pegs, chain links, buttons, etc.).
Object nesting: Condiment cups, rollers, and mason jar ring and mesh lid can each nest together.
Connecting and separating: Chain links can be connected or separated. Pegs can be connected to the silicone lid or scarf.
Classification: Buttons allow for comparing and classifying similar objects with differences. The rollers can be ordered by size.
Bags: Useful for collecting, transporting, enclosing, or hiding objects.
Pretend play (older infants and toddlers): Condiment cups and spoons for mimicking actions like sipping and eating. The bag can be used for shopping or work.