When it comes to helping our children play and develop new skills, it seems reassuring to reach for the latest toy or object with the hope that it will engage them.  I was recently listening to a fellow OT who was relaying our tendency to buy more and more ‘things’ to help our children develop their motor, play and language skills.  There is something comfortingly tangible in hoping this new ‘thing’ will be the answer to moving them forward in their ability to follow instructions, to learn how to take turns, or to help them play independently.

But although the new object seems amazing and may have lovely colours and graphics and maybe even sounds and visuals, it is simply a tool to use in the bigger picture.  I’d go further to say that many toys are actually over stuffed with options that can become overwhelming for many children with additional needs.  What is more powerful than ‘things’ in developing attention and play skills are the strategies we use to help our children learn and how we set up their environment for success. Here are a few tips we use to encourage attention skills which you can use at home too.

Unclutter the play space.  The old saying – ‘less is more’- could not be more relevant than in the play, motor and language development of children in the early years.   This is not to say that scaling back to bare bones is best, however, our tendency to clutter their bedrooms, lounge rooms and play areas with loads of toys can actually hinder their ability to choose, attend longer and be creative.  It is important to ensure the play environment is uncluttered to avoid overloading the child’s visual demands and to hone their focus on the task at hand.  This might mean having a neutral coloured play mat on the floor to delineate the play space.  It also means turning off the TV and removing technology that easily distracts and, let’s face it, is probably more motivating as it requires passive interaction to look at a screen.

Rotate toys.  Help them extend their play by having a few boxes with 2-3 toys in each to explore to reduce choice and target certain skills.  Pull out a new box each day.

Repetition is important – Not to be confused with repetitive play which is doing the same thing over and over, repetition is using the same toy in different ways to get better at the skill or to expand on how to use it.  it is OK to have the same toy out regularly.  Resist the temptation to get something new out and instead show them other ways to expand their play – build a bridge with blocks over the train set, add some other kitchen utensils to the sandpit, put teddies around the play area for them to ‘read a book’ to.

The ‘Just Right Challenge’ is a perfect example of how OTs go about teaching a child a new skill and keep a child engaged in play.  Presenting them with a new task that is slightly above what they can currently achieve.  Not too hard that they can’t achieve success, but not too easy that they receive no internal reward that builds confidence.  A simple example of this might be to play catch with a large ball standing very close together, then take small steps back when they are consistently catching to keep challenging them. 

Remember to use anticipation as a tool.  This means pause before the ‘go’ in ready set go.  It means change your voice tone – whispering is actually quite effective! Exaggerate your facial expressions so they can recognise fun.  Mimic hiding the toy or opening/closing the toy box with surprise.

Play alongside them.  Children learn through modelling and copying.  A short time on the floor with them following their lead in play and copying them, adding a simple step or commenting on what there are doing will give them more ideas on what they can do, and ultimately help their independent play times. Imitate their attempts at drawing – dots, lines, circles – then do one of your own for them to copy you.

To get more of our top tips and tools join our Confident Communicators Group (supporting development for 2 – 5 year olds).

The group is open to parents/ carers/ grandparents and early years practitioners.

Do come along and join us!