1. Wooden blocks :
Children love feeling the shape and the surface of the blocks, making a train or arranging the blocks to form different shapes and constructions according to their choice. Initially children tend to use similar coloured blocks for one construction. Later Children begin to make more complicated designs and also make innovative use of the blocks. For eg. they do not make only houses and trains but they also dams and aero planes. They use blocks for counting sorting and matching. Fine motor as well as cognitive development takes place simultaneously.
2. Manipulatives :
Children love to feel everything by touching. Initially they find it difficult to fix the manipulatives. As they keep handling it more often their pincer motor grasp develops which in turn helps to increase the strength in their fingers. Their grip becomes firm and stronger. After some regular sessions many of them manage to fix the manipulatives. Later Children make long chains of different shapes by fixing them in different combinations. Children at this level make more complicated shapes which are made by using manipulatives in particular order for eg. they use two or three colours in particular order to make a particular shape. Play with manipulative develops fine motor grip as well as eye-hand co-ordination in children.
3. Beads :
Children roll beads on their palms. They use them as balls, roll them on the ground. The holes of these beads should also be bigger so that children do not find it frustrating while threading them Generally children manage to thread 5 to 6 beads at a go. Later they find to make a necklace or a garland. Play with beads promotes fine motor and eye-hand co-ordination.
4. Pink Tower :
Children love to arrange the blocks one on the top of the other and make a big tower. After they finish making a tower. they push it and enjoy watching it fall. They also make a train with the help of these blocks. Later they start making different constructions and not just the tower out of these blocks. The structure is much more stable. They also indulge in imaginative play with the blocks for eg. imagining a cake in the place of a block. Later the structures they make are more stable and specific play with pink tower makes the children more imaginative and increases their spatial concept.
5. Puzzles :
Pre-school children enjoy playing with puzzle. As they handle the puzzle pieces they learn problem solving techniques and it also improves their eye-hand co-ordination.
6. Hammering set - Children love to bang hammer on anything that is in the proximity. At later stage they learn to insert nails anyhow and then hammer them. As children develop better eye-hand and motor co-ordination they can put the nails in the holes very comfortably. Some times they like to experiment and try to fix the nails from the opposite sides.
7. Pulling animals :
Children pull animals and try to make them fall. They like to repeat these actions. Sometimes as they do not manage the balance of the toy while pulling it with a string and tend to get frustrated.
8. Shape Sorters :
Initially children do not know the shapes as geometric shape but can identify the shape with the outline of the piece and fix it. Later they understand the basic shapes like circle and square. Shape sorters can be used for reinforcement as well as for recapitulation of geometrical shapes. As children play with shapes they begin to understand various shapes which enhances cognitive development.
9. Peg Boards :
Children are not very comfortable with the peg board in the beginning as there are lot of pegs to fix in the holes. But later on they try to fix a least try to 3 to 4 pieces. At a later stage children can manage to fix 6-8 pieces. This helps in promoting concept of size and seriation.
10. Rolling pins and boards :
Pre school children move rolling pin on the board in any direction. With clay or play dough they enjoy making chapattis of different sizes and shapes. Later children can roll the dough or clay in a more controlled way. Their strokes are longer. They begin to make round chapattis, They put less pressure on the dough while rolling as they develop better fine muscle control. Play with rolling pins enhances control & co-ordination in their fine muscles.
11. Folding napkins :
Children should be given napkins measuring 1ft x 1ft so that it will be easier for them to fold.
12. Plasticine/Play dough :
Children like to make balls of different sizes. They make snakes out of clay and sometimes they make fruits, flowers and necklaces.
13. Scissors :
Children can start using blunt scissors initially. They can cut old newspaper. They will cut paper at random and not on any drawn lines. Initially children will cut newspaper at random but later on they can be given a sheet of paper with only one straight line drawn on it. Children will try to cut on the drawn line. After a few days 2-3 lines can be drawn and they should be able to cut on those lines. By the end of the year children should be able to cut a big square and a circle exactly on the line drawn. As children gain strength and control in their muscles they enjoy this activity of cutting.
14. Kitchen equipment :
Children are observant Many of them know how to make use of the kitchen equipment children at this level generally play with more commonly used equipment. They like to pretend that they are serving food. Children very often role-play and talk while playing with kitchen equipment. Play with kitchen equipment enhances emotional and social development. These children pretend that they are preparing certain dishes which generally they relish. They use a number of things for their dramatization. This also increases their sense of imagination.
15. Abacus :
Children love to run their fingers on these rows of beads. Though it a mathematical apparatus children at this level enjoy it because of it’s feel and colour. Later children use the abacus for recognizing colour and then for counting.
16. Chalk and Slate :
Children love to scribble in the initial stage. Later on they try out different strokes. They manage to draw some definite shapes they like. Some times they manage to come up with drawings of sun, apple or flower. Children generally manage to draw a few things out of their own choice or if the teacher draws something like mountains or simple umbrella they manage to copy that too. They enjoy using different colours. They also write the letters they have been taught by a teacher. They can draw certain fruits, flowers and vegetables. Later Children start drawing more elaborate pictures for eg. mountains with the rising sun and birds, rainy day with clouds, raindrops, peacock and frogs etc. They like to write their name, letter and numbers.
17. Puppets :
As children put their hands inside the puppet their world changes. They begin to imagine them selves as the character. Children use puppets to release their pent up feelings.
18. Soft toys :
Children like the feel and touch of soft toys. Children use soft toys to dramatise. Play with soft toys helps them to fantasize and increases their imagination.
19. Musical instruments :
Children can handle musical instruments like tambourine or tabla. They will not play it as such but they enjoy the sound of these instruments as they are very easy to handle. Children enjoy pressing the keys or banging on the tabla. Children enjoy tambourine, tabla and xylophone. Play with musical instruments enhances auditory perception.
20. Sound Shakers :
Sound shakers can be used by teachers to improve the listening skills of children. As children experiment with sound they develop the concept of loud and soft. |
