WEEK #2:

TOYS FOR LITTLE FINGERS (TODDLER-PRESCHOOL)

Little Fingers need some extra strengthening and practice when it comes to developing fine motor skills. Fine motor or dexterity skills refer to your child's ability to use his or her finger/hand muscles properly so that he or she can successfully manipulate basic tools and manage small pieces. For example, children use basic fine motor skills when completing daily tasks such as holding a pencil, drawing, writing, cutting with scissors or even tying a shoelace. Fine motor skills also include hand/eye coordination. Daily practice of dexterity skills will strengthen the finger motions and accuracy needed to accomplish these basic, and eventually more challenging tasks. Choosing toys that develop and improve your child's hand/eye coordination and dexterity skills will provide an enjoyable fine motor workout for little fingers. The following toys encourage the development of these skills by requiring children to manipulate small pieces (grasping, pushing, pulling, lacing, stacking, rotating etc.) These types of toys can be commonly found in preschool classrooms and even occupational therapy settings. Toddlers and preschoolers love playing with these types of toys, and don't even realize that they are developing important fine motor skills in the process.

Mr. Potato Head A classic! 13 piece mix & match combination starter set encourages creativity and a wee-bit of silliness. Deluxe sets also available. Ages 2+

Tall Stacker Pegs Building Set Soft peg set for endless construction possibilities and strategic building fun! Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Primary Lacing BeadsColorful wood beads develop pattern, shape and color recognition. Hours of lacing entertainment. Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Lace and Trace Pets 5 sturdy jumbo double sided lacing pets plus colorful laces. Enjoyable activity improves hand/eye coordination. Ages 3+

 

Play-Doh: Fun Factory Super Set Winner of  Creativity Award! Over 35 cutters, design tools, an extruder machine, and 5 Playdoh colors. Hours upon hours of imaginative fun! Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Deluxe 24-Piece Princess Elise Magnetic Dress-Up Colorful & durable magnetic doll with mix and match fashions for enjoyable pretend play. Ages 3+

Parents Pop Beads Snap Non-stop fine motor creativity with this  500 pc. jewelry making set including 12 ring & 6 bracelet builders. Ages 4+

Melissa & Doug Beginner Pattern Blocks 10 sturdy pattern boards along with 30 colorful shapes teaches matching, patterns & shape recognition. Ages 2+

Melissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Magnetic Pattern Blocks Set Magnetic board comes with 120 colorful geometric magnets  to build 12 geometric pictures or to make your own designs. Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Wooden Shape Sorting ClockWooden clock with movable hands teaches time, shape sorting and number recognition. Excellent learning tool! Ages 3-5

LeapFrog Scribble and Write Award Winner! Little fingers can practice the formation of letters and shapes with this fun learning machine. The child-size stylus along with screen lights make it easy for kids to draw simple pictures, shapes and eventually upper & lower case letters. Amusing learning games reinforce letter formation. A great way to teach writing skills. Ages 3-5.

Melissa & Doug See & SpellLearn to spell over twenty 3 and 4 letter words with this colorful picture puzzle set. Ages 4-7

Sort & Stack Delightful set of 10 stacking cups, 8 shapes and shape sorter. Great for hand/eye coordination, shape recognition, numbers and counting! Ages 18 months+

Guidecraft 72-pc. Magneatos Construction Set Multiple awards winner! Colorful 72 piece magnetic construction toy promotes creativity and problem solving skills. Various set sizes available. Ages 3+

LEGO Duplo Ultimate Building Set – 71 PiecesColorful tub of building blocks for little fingers 18 months-5 years. Provides hours of creative fun!

Bristle Blocks (300 piece set)300 blocks with bristles are easy to grasp and build. Great tactile play. Set also includes farm animals, family and wheels. Ages 3+

Melissa & Doug Large Wire Puzzle Rack Loaded with 3 Favorite Chunky Puzzles! Deluxe wire rack holds up to 12 multi-sized puzzles. Comes with 3 colorful chunky puzzles. Ages 3+

Parents Puzzle Rack with Puzzles Excellent value!  Sturdy puzzle rack comes with 5 vibrant educational puzzles including ABCs, 123s, shapes, animals & bugs. Ages 18 months+

Battat Parents Bristle Blocks Basic 68 piece bristle blocks set for young children provides sensory input and imaginative play. Easy to grasp and build. Ages 3+

Parents Busy School Activity Cube Wow! Stimulating 6 sided activity cube for hours of play & discovery. Shapes, movement and colors develop memory, critical thinking, dexterity and more! Ages 12 months+

For additional age appropriate selections, see Electronic Learning Toys, Let's Pretend Toys For Girls & Boys, Board Games for Young Children, Building Sets, Dolls & Dollhouses, Cars & Trains. Also see Children's Educational DVDs & Music CDs and Books for Toddlers & Preschoolers.

For more holiday information, please see:

The Little Ones Holiday Gift Giving Guide and

Little Ones "Twelve Weeks Before Christmas"  Holiday Toy Series: This holiday series is designed to help parents and grandparents make smart choices by featuring outstanding/award winning "toys that teach," accompanied by reviews which highlight and explain the educational benefits and specific skills children receive from these types of toys.

 

Little Ones "Top 25" Award Winning/Outstanding Toy Picks

Visit www.littleones.com for our selection of  Great/Award Winning Children's Books, Little Ones Recommended Toys & Gifts,  Birthday Theme Parties  and Baby Basics, along with teacher tips, parenting articles, family fun and much more!

 

If you haven't done so already, Subscribe Now to receive our weekly Little Ones articles via E-mail.