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Play is the work of toddlers. They learn through hands-on experiences. This means that every time your child glues pieces of paper together or puts on a firefighter's hat and pretends to put out a fire he is learning. Every time he dumps out a bucket of toys or pours a shovel full of sand into a funnel, he is developing skills that will stay with him for the rest of his life.

Through make believe and pretend play, your child is developing social and language skills. He is learning about the world around him, about how things happen and why. He is beginning to understand the differing roles of the people in his life.

For example, if he has a new baby brother or sister, he may want to play with dolls. Pretending to be Mommy caring for the baby can help him understand the changes that are going on in his life. It can also help him express his feelings about the new baby.

Painting, cutting with scissors, coloring and other art activities are a way for children to express themselves creatively. They are also good for developing fine motor skills.

Looking at books and telling a story about the pictures is an important pre-reading skill. Doing this demonstrates an understanding of written language. Children understand that the book tells a story, so they make up one of their own before they are able to read it. They may appear to be reading when using a book they know well.

Puzzles and small manipulatives, such as interlocking blocks and lacing beads, allow your child to practice sorting, counting, patterning and other math concepts.

Building a tower of blocks and knocking it down teaches your child about cause and effect. He is also developing ideas about how to construct things that are strong and sturdy.

Mixing paint colors is also a great cause-and-effect activity, and it helps your child learn to solve problems. If he needs orange paint but doesn't have any, he can figure out how to mix red and yellow to make orange.

When you child runs on the playground, pedals a tricycle, kicks or throws a ball or engages in a game of tag he is doing much more than getting exercise and blowing off steam. He is developing balance and coordination and learning to play cooperatively with others.

Electronic teaching devices, paper and pencil exercises and lectures, while they do have their place, are not as effective as play. They teach children to memorize facts instead of providing meaningful experiences to help children understand how and why things happen.

All forms of play have a specific purpose. They teach children necessary skills in a way that is natural for them to learn. Play helps toddlers build skills that are a foundation for a successful education in the years to come.

Learn more about this author, Marcia J.
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