One of the best parts of parenthood is that you get to play like a kid again. Playing with your toddler is a blast, but there’s purpose behind this fun activity, too. Playtime aids in the development of important motor and cognitive skills and can help your toddler better understand the world around her.

Here are three ways to amp up your toddler’s playtime:

Challenge her imagination
Encourage your toddler to use her imagination to create wild, wonderful worlds that don’t already exist in her playroom. Building forts from pillows and blankets, singing into spoon ‘microphones’ and hosting tea parties for her stuffed animals are classic examples of imaginary play.

You can also foster this type of play by asking your toddler open-ended questions. So you might say something like, “What would happen if our couch was a boat?” or “Do you want to put on a puppet show with your dolls?” You might be surprised by what your toddler comes up with all on her own.

Reduce clutter
Providing a ton of toys for your toddler isn’t always the best course of action. If your toddler’s play space is packed, she may feel overwhelmed and lose focus.

Keep some of her toys in a closet and rotate out her “old” toys for “new” ones every few weeks. You’ll be surprised how much she appreciates her plastic piano when she’s not used it for a couple of days.

Back off
There’s tremendous value in encouraging independent play while you keep an eye out nearby. Independent play allows your toddler to feel more self-sufficient and can help encourage creativity.

When you do play together, be sure to give your toddler the opportunity to direct playtime. Often moms feel the need to talk the entire time they’re playing, but give your child the space to speak, too. You may be surprised what your toddler says when you give her the chance.

Photo by Guillaume de Germain on Unsplash

By the time your child is around 24 months, he will probably be ready to graduate to a toddler bed. It will most likely be one of his first big-kid moves to independence -- good for him! At this point, your child may be tall enough to lift his legs up and over the sides of a crib, so making the switch is a good idea for his development and best for his safety.

Making the move to a toddler bed is a big one, and there are definitely some factors to keep in mind before doing so. Remember, being in a bed that’s closer to the ground means that your child now has easy access to his room and the house in a way he never had before. That would make any child a little curious.

Before making the big move to a toddler bed, keep the following safety concerns in mind:

Avoid sleepy-time hazards
Sleepy (or mischievous) children can get into trouble if they try to wander around the house unsupervised at night. In order to sidestep this potential issue, try putting a bell on your child’s door so you’ll hear him when he tries to wander.

Put all toys away
Your child doesn’t have to leave his room to get into trouble -- he’s probably tempted enough as it is right in his very own space. Make sure you safely remove any toys or objects that could break or are a potential choking hazard before you put your child to sleep. Also do a quick sweep of the floor to remove anything that could trip up your child if he does get out of bed in the dark.

Place the bed properly

A toddler bed is much closer to the ground than a crib, but even so, it’s not a bad idea to keep the area around your child’s new bed cushioned, at least with a rug. Also, position it away from the window to avoid drafts or any dangling cords or curtains.

Once you have these safety precautions in place, it’s time to celebrate! Moving to a toddler bed is a big step, and it’s important you show your child how proud of him you are.

Experts agree that reading to your toddler is a great way to foster both fun and developmental learning. And incorporating baby books into your daily baby bedtime routine is a good idea for various reasons.

For starters, it’s hard to argue with the fact that a child’s reading skills are intricately linked to his later success. But reading to your toddler can also be an interactive way to spend time with him and cultivate his imagination.   

Especially for babies, who are developing their sensory skills, books that include pages of various textures (e.g., felt, fuzzy, smooth, soft) are a great way to introduce different touch sensations, too.

Reading to your child will also help with the following:

1. Bonding. As you read to your toddler or baby, cuddle with him or hold him. This intimacy and the sound of your voice will help your child associate reading with good memories, making him more likely to take up the habit when he grows older as well.
    
2. Picture association. Helping your toddler identify objects in a book and reciprocate words will aid in developing reading skills and visual accuracy.
    
3. Developmental skills. Parent-child reading promotes social and emotional development. There are five essential early reading skills: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and fluency. Your child will naturally absorb them all as you read to him before bed every night.
    
4. Language development. Access to books and reading prior to school help facilitate language development in toddlers, which is an essential skill.

The following are a few great books for babies and toddlers:

• A Good Day by Kevin Henkes
• When I Was a Baby by Deborah Niland
   
• The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli
   
• One Naked Baby by Maggie Smith
   
• This Little Piggy by Jane Yolen
   
• The Wheels on the Bus by Paul Zelinsky
   
• The Cow Who Clucked by Denise Fleming
   
• Baby Talk: A Book of First Words and Phrases by Judy Hindley
   
• We’ve All Got Bellybuttons! by David Martin
   
• Hurry, Hurry by Eve Bunting

Soothe your baby or toddler with any of these books during his bedtime routine, and it’ll quickly become one of his favorite memories -- and yours, too.

Photo by Paul Hanaoka on Unsplash