Toys for a 2 yr old girl

[HIU8]

DD is 2. I just got her a set of lacing cards the other day. I didn't have to show her how to use them. She sat down and laced up each card the first time she was given the toy. with the holiday season coming up, and hopefully some really good prices on items for DD, what should I get her to keep her stimulated, interested etc... FWIW, she has this natural ability with writing--she picks up a pencil/pen/crayon the same way you and I write. She figured out the proper grip and that is how she holds a pencil etc.... She showed me the other day how she could write a letter A. She is in preschool, but I want to make sure I have materials at home to keep her stimulated b/c she seems to really crave it (not that we don't have stuff at home, we do, but I want to help her continue to learn at her pace and keep the learning as challenging as she prefers it).

[vonfirmath]

http://chasingcheerios.blogspot.com/
http://learningwithmouse.blogspot.com/

[wendibird22]

My DD is also 2 and DH and I were just having this conversation because she doesn't doesn't need any more "stuff." I think I'm going to focus mainly on consumable items...like craft supplies, age appropriate cooking items (I'd like to start doing Muffin Tin Mondays), and expanding her lego set. I figure these types of things will help with imagination and creativity and the craft items in particular can help us with letter of the week and other learning projects.

Maybe ask the preschool teacher if there's any item or project that she seems to particularly enjoy doing or playing with and use that as a guide.

[fivi2]

Do you mean for fine motor development, or any toys?

You can buy lacing bead sets also. Since she is under 3, you might want to go with a real one, for choking hazard reasons, but my girls LOVE to put little beads and bells on pipe cleaners (but those are all a definite choking hazard).

Play dough and accessories.

Brittone has mentioned using a push pin to trace shapes and letters. (in fact, Brittone and others have had lots of good ideas if you do a search on fine motor or something like that).

I just give my girls tons of different writing instruments and things to write on. (pencils, pens, crayons, markers, stamps, evelopes, stationery, list paper, graph paper, decorative paper, etc. Tuesday morning often has lots of cheap paper sets).

Have fun!

[HIU8]

I did mean for fine motor and also cognitive development. We have lacing beads as well. Tonight we did shrinky dinks (with the small colored pencils). I like the idea of a push pin also. DD just seems to really soak everything up (whereas DS could have cared less then and somewhat now as well).

[brittone2]

DD loves puzzles. Fine motor stuff and writing are big for her. You can use toothpicks or similar to do "pushpin" work ala Montessori.

I often look through Montessori catalogs (like forsmallhands) for ideas, and then recreate them at home for less $$, kwim? Like for sorting, no need to buy special sorting items (unless you want to), but with both kids we've done things like teaching them to sort silverware (sharp knives removed ;) ). Big and little spoons, forks, butter knives. DD still enjoys this and DS did at that age too. We have some of those little bear counters you can buy as manipulatives and DD will sort them into different bowls (red, yellow, green, etc.). You can start w/ just two colors and then build up the number of colors they are sorting depending on how it goes.

Threding beads on a pipecleaner-check ends for sharpness. (if she's not going to eat them obviously). If that's too easy she can lace them on a lace which is more challenging.

Pouring and transferring activities (with DS I bought small ice tongs and he started w/ those picking up things like cotton balls. ) As he got better w/ that we moved to plastic tweezers (non pointy) and worked on transferring lentils, beans, grains of rice, etc. from one bowl to another. A small pyrex pitcher (pretty tough to break) filled w/ rice, beans, etc. and put on a tray (to minimize mess). Give them a chance to pour into a cup. Eventually you can move to pouring liquids.

Transfer objects using a spoon from one bowl to another (I think it is usually encouraged to work from left to write in prep for reading). Dry pasta, beans, etc. Do on a tray to minimize cleanup.

DD likes our latches board. There are sets of bolt boards, etc. that she might like or might be able to grow into in a few months. Larger lock and keys to experiment with on a tray (if she won't mouth them as keys often contain some lead). Various open/close materials (small bottles with different types of lids, small wallet that you can open/close using a snap, small wallet w/ a zipper, etc. )

Outside play with a turkey baster and a container of water. See if she can figure out how to transfer water between two containers. Can do this inside w/ small pipette and two containers (one w/ water) on a tray to minimize mess.

Seriously, I just peruse the fine motor activities at different Montessori types of catalogs and get ideas from that.

Blogs like PPs linked to are great:
http://spiralmontessorimama.blogspot.com/2008/07/fine-motor-activity.html

I always find inspiration at sites like this: (for ex, check out the opening/closing materials)
http://www.montessoriservices.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=110_130
http://www.montessoriservices.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4423_114
lf you are also considering larger "practical life" stuff (my kids have always enjoyed this type of play), we have gotten a ton of use out of child-sized brooms, a swiffer w/ a section or two removed to make it smaller, child sized rake (great w/ fall coming up), child-sized shovel, and a child-sized RF wheelbarrow. Small cleaning kits (spray bottle w/ some water, sponges, small towels, duster, etc.).

eta: one more fun one: Get a small scrub brush for potatoes, carrots, etc. and let them help you "scrub" the item clean. Good for hand strength and learning to use two hands together. Folding dishcloths or washcloths into halves then quarters. Both of my kids want a polishing kit after seeing one in a Montessori catalog (with a 2 year old I'd look for the ones that are more nontoxic. Some have more questionable ingredients). Mirror polishing, etc.