3 minute read
TOY ROTATION, WHAT IS IT & WHY IS IT SO GOOD.
WHAT IS A TOY ROTATION?
A toy rotation is simply having a set amount of toys out on display for your child to play with and then storing away other toys that you can rotate in and out. Toy rotations are actually something we do with our two Golden Retrievers dogs. Every time we pull out toys from storage the dogs act like it’s a new fun toy they’ve never seen before with kids its very similar.
When you bring out “new” toys (even if they’ve played with them before) it is exciting for them and will often lead to them engaging with those activities more.
It also allows you to reduce the number of toys you have set out in the playroom, which can be a great way to promote focus and let them master individual skills (and can make keeping the area tidy easier too)!
Experts from early childhood brand, Lovevery share the benefits of toy rotation on child development and independence, and provide tips for practicing toy rotation at home.
Our culture pushes abundance, but fewer is actually better when it comes to toys. The typical home has more toys that a child really needs, and research shows that too many toys can actually be overwhelming for children.
Having fewer toys out at any particular time benefits the child by allowing them to get deep into longer stretches of play, which enhances their learning. It’s also great for parents as independent play is more likely to happen when children are given a more minimalist environment with fewer choices.
Toy rotation is a classic Montessori technique where only a few toys are kept out at a time, arranged on open, low shelves with the others put away out of sight. This can help your child follow their natural interests and build independence. With fewer options in reach, a child will engage more meaningfully with each toy, playing in a deeper way and spending more time exploring each item.
In designing our first piece of standalone furniture with The Playshelf, we wanted to make toy rotation simple. We considered what a child is hungry to learn and how they interact with their environment at each stage as they grow. Working with expert advisors, we paired that with safety for the child and convenience for the parent to ensure that we can actually create an optimal living and learning environment.
You don’t have to get rid of any toys, you just put some away and bring others out—though this can provide an opportunity to do a little purging and donating. Rotating the toys you do have keeps them fresh and interesting for your toddler.
Our Montessori experts we work with at Lovevery have offered the following suggestions for how to rotate toys: calcium and vitamin D which contribute to the maintenance of normal bones, plus a high-purity Omega-3 capsule that provides 300mg DHA. Maternal intake of DHA contributes to the normal brain and eye development of breast-fed infants* Pregnacare. With you every step of the way.
• Arrange around 9 to 12 different items on a low shelf so the child can pick a toy to focus on.
• Over the next few weeks or so, pay attention to the objects that attract your child the most and how they like to play with them.
• Rotate toys when it feels right—no more than once a week and potentially every few weeks.
• Try to do the rotation when your child is not around, keeping favorites in the same place so the change doesn’t feel sudden.
Montessori environments encourage independence by empowering children to care for themselves and their space. Seeing that each item has a place on The Playshelf for example, can help encourage children to clean up after themselves in a way that welcomes order.
Lovevery Play Kits are backed by research and inspired by Montessori providing play that engages a child’s natural interests, builds real-life skills, and connects your child to the world around them. Their newest release, The Playshelf, is a modern, parent-approved solution to organization and toy clutter.
*A beneficial effect is obtained with a daily intake of 200mg DHA in addition to the recommended daily intake of omega-3 fatty acids for adults.
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