The Opportunities Given by Open-Ended Toys Through the Eyes of a Toddler Mom

Malapit na naman ang Christmas season, I am sure marami sa ating mga parents ang nag-iisip ano ang ibibigay natin na gift sa ating mga anak, pamangkin at inaanak.

Ang daming options, every year iba-iba ang uso. Bilang isang nanay na need magtipid, iniisip ko maigi bago ko bilhin ang isang bagay. Gusto ko for long-term use. Gusto ko rin multi-purpose para marami pwede paggamitan. Gusto ko kahit mahal, sulit naman at syempre safe parin para sa aming anak.

Lagi ko nababasa sa mga sinulat ng child development experts na very helpful daw yung mga open-ended toys para sa mga toddlers.

Ano nga ba yung open-ended toys?

"Open-ended toys are toys that can be used in many different ways - ones that don't have one desired response from your child. The more open-ended a toy is, the more likely it is to grow with your baby through many ages and stages."

~ From CanDoKiddo.com by Rachel Coley, Pediatric Occupational Therapist and Mom

As a parent, ito yung mga na-observe ko sa toddler ko when I gave him an opportunity to play with open-ended toys:

1. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to be creative.

Maganda rin yung may opportunity to be creative. Pag kasi lahat ng bagay meron ka na, there's no more room for creativity. Having less helps us be creative.

Let me share my eye-opening experience about this concept. For weeks, I've been thinking if we should buy a train set because my son recently loves trains. We're trying to minimize expenses and I got busy narin. One day, he surprised us when he made his own train and even said "choo-choo" while playing with it! I was in awe and realized that indeed, less is more.

2. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to feel a sense of accomplishment in building things.

Talagang focused ang anak ko pag may binubuo siya na sarili niyang creation, and pag natapos na niya ito, sobrang saya niya. Proud na proud siya sa nagawa niya :)

3. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to learn and expand their vocabulary.

• Using open-ended toys, pwede magturo ng iba't-ibang vocabulary words like colors, shapes, verbs, prepositions, etc.

• Maganda rin itong conversation piece with your child. After niya ipakita sa iyo yung binuo niya, pag-usapan ninyo yun. Ask questions about sa creation niya. Let them tell a story about it.

For my son, this is a carpark tower,

like the one he saw in YouTube's Doctor McWheelie Video.

• General household objects, costumes and props can also be used as open-ended toys for pretend play.

Pretend Play using Household Objects: It's a personal computer!

4. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to develop pre-math skills.

Aside from actually counting the pieces, pre-math skills include:

• sorting per category like colors and shapes

• following patterns

• comparing sizes to determine which is bigger and which is smaller

• identifying which is more and which is lesser in quantity

Open-ended toys can be used to explore pre-math skills in a fun and concrete way. For young kids mas matututo sila ng math using concrete objects (things that they can touch and feel) instead of worksheets.

5. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to practice fine motor skills.

Sa pagbutingting, pagbuo at pagkalas ng mga open-ended toys, na-dedevelop ang strength and stability ng kamay ng bata. This lays a good foundation for writing in the future.

6. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to learn independent play.

I often let my child play by himself. Kasi kung palaging andun ako guiding and giving instructions, ang ending parang ako na ang naglalaro, at hindi na siya. So I step back and just observe him. I let him go through the process of trial and error. Then natututunan din naman niya how to solve the problem he encountered. Bonus din for me, kasi while he is at independent play, ito narin yung time ko to do chores or rest a little myself.

My toddler was so focused in laying out the blocks like this. It was almost an hour of independent play!

7. Open-ended toys give the child an opportunity to be frustrated.

Yes, frustrated. Minsan talagang may iyakan, may tantrum, may moments na ibabato na lang ng bata yung toy sa inis kasi he encounters a problem in building what he wants to build, and that's okay! That's a learning opportunity. Learning how to manage emotions, learning how not to give up, learning how to be patient in trying to solve the problem. Very important life skills!

The past weeks, my toddler has been attempting to do this and it often ends with him crying in frustration every time may nahuhulog na piece. After many weeks of trying, he was so happy nagawa na nya finally!

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Open-ended toys have endless possibilities. When we thoughtfully acquire toys, the impact it makes lasts for a lifetime. Open-ended toys are effective tools to help children learn and have fun at the same time.

Happy playing! :)