Around 18-months of age babies start adding words much more quickly — sometimes several in one day. At the same time, they start showing a lot more imagination when they play. They feed their dolls and tuck them into bed. They also become magicians who can transform a wooden block into a car, airplane, telephone, sandwich, or a cup of tea all by pretending! Symbolic thinking is the great achievement of the toddler years—even more remarkable than walking. Make believe play and language have a strong connection because they both rely on symbols—things that stand for other things.
- Great gifts to help develop language skills and imaginative play abilities: picture books, dolls (for boys as well as girls), plastic animals (make sure these are too big to fit inside a toilet paper roll, to prevent choking), and best of all simple building blocks that a child’s imagination can turn into anything and everything!
Intentionally not on my list of best toys: electronic talking toys. Why? Because these gizmos are designed to do the work of imagining for the child. Often sold as educational toys, what they really teach children is to expect to be entertained. Young children learn best when they are actively involved in solving problems and creating things. If I could wave my Developmental Santa magic wand and make these developmentally inappropriate toys disappear, I would!