Make-believe
Playing mum, dad, doctor or teacher. Children learn to handle anger and worry, see other points of view and share. Playing doctor can even ease the fear of a real visit.
2 to 4 years
Ages 2 to 4: play, nursery and getting ready to learn
Play is your child’s work. This stage brings games that build the body and the mind, a nursery to choose, and ways to prepare hands and words for school without rushing to the alphabet.
Why play matters
Play is how a small child learns. It lets them work off tension and big feelings, try new skills, use their imagination, understand the world and practise being with other people.
Art
Clay, crayons, scissors. It builds the small hand muscles that writing needs, and pride when you display the picture on the fridge.
Building
Blocks and Lego. Children learn to plan, compare, balance, sort and count, and move from stacking at random to building on purpose.
Thinking games
Puzzles, matching, sorting, memory and word games. They grow focus, problem-solving and language.
Active play
Running, balls, trikes, hide-and-seek. Strong muscles, plus cooperation, sharing, team spirit and healthy competition. Play in the park helps too: sunlight is good for growing bodies.
Choosing toys
- Matches their age and interests.
- Helps them learn, and can be used in many ways. Blocks that can be built and taken apart are best.
- Free of harmful chemicals, with nothing small enough to swallow and no sharp corners or metal parts.
- Bright, light, smooth, easy to clean and not very expensive.
Remember
What matters more than training every skill is the hug you give when your child manages a game. Praise their scribbles too, and never compare their drawings with another child’s.
| Game | Age | How to play | What it builds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peek-a-boo | From 5 months | Cover your face and ask “Where did Mama go?” then uncover it: “Here I am!” Later, hide behind a chair and pop out. | Learning that you always come back. |
| Musical gloves | First year | Wear gloves with small bells and shake them in different places until your baby finds the sound. | Working out where sounds come from. |
| Stacking rings, bath toys, mobiles | First year | Rings on a post, boats and rubber ducks in the bath, toys hung over the crib. | Problem-solving, water play, focus. |
| Spoon play | First year | Give them spoons to play with. When they cooperate, put a little banana on one. | Feeding themselves. |
| Walking games | From walking | Walk sideways, backwards, on tiptoe or like a horse. Play follow the leader. | Balance and coordination. |
| Shape sorting, building, dominoes | From 1 year | Put shapes through matching holes, build with large blocks, match pictures on dominoes. | Shapes, planning, turn-taking. |
| Colours and sounds | From 1½ | “Show me the red ball.” Tap a pot, a drum and a spoon and ask what made the sound. | Colours and listening. |
| Acting games | From 1½ | Copy you sweeping the floor, or take turns being the kind doctor. | Imitation and confidence. |
| Simon says | 2 to 4 | Obey only when the leader says “Simon says”. Try using your child’s name. | Attention and focus. |
| Memory game | 3 to 4 | Show 12 pictures for a few seconds, cover them, and see who remembers the most. | Memory. |
| Will it fly? | 3 to 4 | Name animals and birds. Flap your arms only for the ones that fly. | Listening and knowledge. |
| Matching and guessing | 3 to 4 | Find the twin of each picture. Or hide a picture and let them ask yes-or-no questions to guess it. | Reasoning and language. |
| Racing and follow the animal | 2 to 4 | Race to a parent for a prize. Put four animal pictures in the corners, play music, and send children to the animal you call. | Speed, fun and listening. |
Play dough at home
Home-made is free of the chemicals in some shop-bought clay. Not for eating, so supervise, and wash hands afterwards.
- 1 cup flour, ½ cup salt, 2 tablespoons cream of tartar, 1 tablespoon oil.
- Mix in a pan, then add 1 cup water.
- Cook on medium heat for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it clumps.
- Knead for 5 minutes, adding food colouring. Keep it in a covered container.
Rhymes, songs and stories
- Short, simple words, happy and funny, with room to clap, run and move.
- You can use traditional songs, but check the words are Islamically acceptable, or write new ones about honesty, prayer and reading Qur’an.
- Use picture books when you tell stories, so they can see what you describe.
- Skip frightening stories about ghosts, man-eating lions or people who snatch children.
What a nursery is for
Nursery or kindergarten prepares your child to move into school without a shock. It isn’t there to teach reading and writing. At this age the eyes, the nervous system and the fine hand muscles aren’t ready, and pushing it is like forcing a five-month-old to stand and walk.
What it should do
- Help them speak and express themselves clearly.
- Train attention and listening.
- Build a love of books and knowledge.
- Strengthen movement, muscles and the five senses.
- Teach cooperation, sharing, and right and wrong.
Learning windows
A timeline from Maria Montessori. Children differ, so treat the ages as a guide.
- 1½ to 3 years
Language grows quickly.
- 2 to 4 years
Control of movement, and a sense of order.
- 3½ to 4½
Ready to prepare for writing.
- 4½ to 5½
Ready to prepare for reading.
Choosing a nursery
The teacher
The most important thing. She is a substitute mother for children away from home for the first time, and a role model. Her character and values matter as much as her qualifications.
Location
Close enough to walk. Away from markets, noise, factories, pollution and fast roads. Among homes and green space.
Space and building
Room for the number and ages of the children to play freely, indoors and out. Plenty of light and fresh air.
Play areas
A grassy area, clean sand, and big equipment such as swings and slides.
Health services
A first-aid room and a social worker or counsellor.
Safety
Plates and cups in stainless steel, not glass or plastic that reacts with food. Safe play equipment, and non-toxic crayons and paint.
Getting ready to read
The aim is to build language, so that reading is easy when it comes. Add as many words as you can.
Outings and parties
They feel part of a bigger group, meet new words and learn to do things themselves.
Stories and puppets
Stories grow vocabulary and imagination and teach careful listening. Puppet plays teach manners and ideas.
Role play and letters
Dramatic play builds expression. For letters, write the same letter on several cards and a different one on one, and let your child spot the odd one out.
Getting ready to write
Preparing to write means better coordination, sharper eyes, stronger finger muscles and a good pen grip. Start with free scribbling, then tracing lines, then joining dots.
Steps
- Scribble
Pens and paper, and plenty of time.
- Hold the pen
Gradually teach a proper grip.
- Trace and join
Follow lines and connect dots to make straight lines.
Nursery visit checklist
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