When
It's Time to Give a Gift
When
we buy presents for new babies, infants, toddlers and preschoolers, we
usually think of toys first. But children need to be introduced to books,
nursery rhymes, songs and stories, from their earliest days for intellectual
stimulation.
Play
is truly the work of childhood. Age-appropriate toys develop strength and dexterity,
songs and stories encourage imaginative play, and attention from important adults
in a child’s life helps create strong, confident and intellectually curious
older children.
In choosing toys for children, be careful to choose age-appropriate toys, not only for the enjoyment a child will derive, but for the child's safety as well. Read the labels and follow the directions for use. Select toys that are sewn well. Use care when selecting computer software. Be aware that computer games marketed for children younger than four years old may only be of limited developmental value.
The following suggestions were designed to help find appropriate toys and books for gift-giving for all occasions: birthdays, Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah or whenever you wish to find a treat for a young child in your life. The toy suggestions were prepared by the New York State Department of Education; the books were chosen by Children’s Librarians of the Queens Borough Public Library.
Infants
respond to various sights, sounds, smells and sensations. Many movements
are reflex actions, but gradually they develop some control over their
bodies. Some favorite toys are rattles, teethers, soft toys that
squeak, balls, stuffed animals, mobiles to hang over the crib, and cloth and
vinyl books.
In
the second six months, a baby’s physical control increases, as does his
or her curiosity. Concentration improves also. Now babies will enjoy cloth or
vinyl blocks, nesting and sorting toys, pop-up toys, pots and pans, and push-able
toys.
Choose
board books for baby to hold and manipulate. Look for books with good illustrations
and very little text. Sing and listen to music. Recite nursery rhymes whenever
you can.
Author: Beall, Pamela
Title: Wee Sing for Baby
Publisher, Date: Price Stern Sloan, 1996
Notes: Books and cassette with lots of musical games and lullabies for baby.
Author:
Fox, Mem
Title:
Time for Bed
Publisher, Date: Harcourt, 1993
Notes: Everyone, even the animals, has to go to sleep in this bedtime
story.
Author:
Hoban, Tana
Title: Black on White
Publisher, Date: Greenwillow, 1993
Notes: Even the youngest babies can see and enjoy these clear black and
white images.
Author:
Kunhardt, Dorothy
Title: Pat the Bunny
Publisher, Date: Western, 1942
Notes: The first touch-me book, now a modern classic.
Author:
Opie, Iona
Title: My Very First Mother Goose
Publisher, Date: Candlewick, 1996
Notes: Find many old favorites in this lively new version of a classic
collection of rhymes.
Author:
Yaccarino, Dan
Title: Baby Face
Publisher, Date: HarperFestival, 2001
Notes: A pull-tab book that playfully introduces the parts of a baby’s
face.
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In
the early months of toddler-hood, the child is beginning to walk. Small motor
skills, like picking up small things with fingers, improve and the child shows
an interest in how things work. He or she can understand single words and simple phrases.
Favorite
toys include stacking cones, pounding benches, puzzles with two to six pieces,
fat crayons and paper, pails and shovels, wooden blocks, and books and tapes with simple stories with an increasing vocabulary and full sentences.
Author:
Ellwand, David
Title: The Big Book of Beautiful Babies
Publisher, Date: Dutton, 1995
Notes: Rhyming text accompanies precious photographs of babies in a variety
of situations: wet and dry, dressed and bare, quiet and loud, and more.
Author:
Weiss, Nicky
Title: Where Does the Brown Bear Go?
Publisher, Date: Greenwillow, 1989
Notes: At the end of the day, all the animals in the world go home for
the night.
Author:
Yoon, Jung-Huyn
Title: Popposites: A Lift, Pull and Pop Book of Opposites
Publisher, Date: DK, Distributed by Houghton Mifflin, 1996
Notes: Amusing flaps, tabs, and pop-ups demonstrate the concept of opposites
to toddlers.
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By
now, most children have mastered walking and have begun running and climbing.
He or she is becoming an individual with personal preferences, which are often
expressed in words. Play with other children is side by side without direct interaction, and make-believe is an important component of play.
Some popular toys are play dough, toy telephones, shape sorters, musical instruments and books. Stories that reflect the child’s world are favorites, as are
books with actions to copy.
Author:
Campbell, Rod
Title: Dear Zoo
Publication, Date: Four Winds Press, 1982
Notes: The zoo sends pet after pet in the mail, but none except the last
one is just right. Lift the flaps and find out why.
Author:
Hill, Eric
Title: Where’s Spot?
Publisher, Date: Putnam, 1980
Notes: A mother dog looking for her lost puppy finds eight other animals
hiding around the house. One of a series of lift-the-flap books.
Author:
McDonnell, Flora
Title: I Love Animals
Publisher, Date: Candlewick, 1994
Notes: A girl names all her favorite farm animals, including Jock the
dog and Pig and her piglets.
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A
child's world is ever-expanding at this point. The two-year-old, now stronger
and better coordinated, seems to be always on the go. He/she proves dexterity
by assembling puzzles. Language skills are improving by leaps and bounds.
Play
becomes more advanced with wooden puzzles, blunt scissors, musical recordings,
pegboards, finger paints, dress-up clothing, toys which copy adult life, such
as kitchen utensils and tools, and of course picture books. The stories contain
simple information about the world familiar to the toddler, like animals, families
and colors. Mother Goose and other nursery rhymes remain favorites because of
the rhymes and repetition.
Author:
Baker, Keith
Title: Big Fat Hen
Publisher, Date: Harcourt, 1994
Notes: Count to ten with Big Fat Hen, her friends and all of their chicks.
Author:
Crews, Donald
Title: Freight Train
Publisher, Date: Harcourt, 1994
Notes: Simple text and illustrations trace the journey of a colorful
train as it goes through tunnels, by cities, and over trestles.
Author:
Tafuri, Nancy
Title: Have You Seen My Duckling?
Publisher: Greenwillow, 1984
Notes: Mother duck and her brood search the pond for one missing duckling.
Author:
Williams, Sue
Title: I Went Walking
Publisher, Date: Harcourt, 1990
Notes: Follow the animals as they follow a child on a walk.
Author:
Williams, Vera
Title: “More, More, More” Said the Baby
Publisher, Date: Greenwillow/HarperCollins, 1990
Notes: Three babies are caught up in the air and given loving attention by a father, grandmother and mother.
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The three-year-old has a relatively
long attention span. Detailed, imaginative play is now important. Cooperative
play includes sharing and compromising.
At this stage,
some preferred toys are coloring books and crayons, stringing beads, hand puppets,
dolls and tricycles. Stories can be longer now with more involved plots and
humor. ABC and counting books teach basic concepts. Animals are often personified.
Concerns like attending preschool and fear of the dark are subjects to explore.
Author:
Emberley, Ed
Title: Go Away, Big Green Monster
Publisher, Date:
Little Brown, 1993
Notes: Watch a really ugly monster fade away, page by page. Beware. It’s
so much fun, you’ll want to do it again and again.
Author:
Kraus, Ruth
Title: The Carrot Seed
Publisher, Date: HarperCollins, 1945
Notes: A little boy believes that his carrot will grow, even though his
family tells him it won’t.
Author:
Martin, Bill, Jr.
Title: Brown, Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?
Publisher, Date: Holt, 1983
Notes: Explore colors with brown bear and his wonderful assortment of
animals, even a purple cat.
Author:
Shaw, Charles
Title: It Looked Like Spilt Milk
Publisher, Date: HarperCollins, 1947
Notes: Is it a bunny, a flower or an ice cream cone?
Author:
Walsh, Ellen S.
Title: Mouse Count
Publisher, Date: Harcourt, 1995
Notes: Ten clever mice outsmart a hungry snake. [ Back to top ]
This is the year
in which real friendship develops. Sharing and taking turns comes more easily.
Pretend play may be expressed in complex dramas and made-up rhymes and songs.
Favorite playthings
are small figures, cars and trucks, finger and stick puppets, dollhouses, simple
board games, watercolor paints, chalkboards, play houses, toy doctor kids, swing
sets and books with more detailed stories. Concept books are more advanced.
Themes include adult-child conflicts. Books about friendship are important,
and simple folk tales are fun too.
Author:
Hoban, Tana
Title: 26 Letters and 99 Cents
Publisher, Date: Greenwillow, 1997
Notes: Hold the book one way to count, hold it the other way to learn
the alphabet.
Author:
Kimmel, Eric A., retel.
Title: Anansi and the Talking Melon
Publisher, Date: Holiday House, 1994
Notes: Anansi, a spider, tricks Elephant and some other animals into
thinking the melon in which he is hiding can talk.
Author:
Marshall, James
Title: Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Publisher, Date: Dial, 1988
Notes: Delicious humor and detail bring this old favorite to life..
Author:
Pinkney, Sandra L.
Title: Shades of Black
Publisher, Date: Scholastic, 2000
Notes: Vibrant photographs perfectly illustrate the beauty and variety
of African-American boys and girls while poetic text evokes a strong sense of
pride.
Author:
Sendak, Maurice
Title: Where the Wild Things Are
Publisher, Date: HarperCollins, 1963
Notes: A young boy who has misbehaved goes on a strange, surprising journey
to another world. [ Back to top ]
The five-year-old is sure
of his/her physical powers, but is increasingly interested in numbers, reading
and writing. Playing and companionship with
friends is a part of growing up.
Toys to be enjoyed at this
time include simple jigsaw puzzles, magnets, more complex board games, skates,
bicycles and books to read independently. Books with well-developed characters
and stories about the “real world” are popular.
Author:
Burningham, John
Title: Mr. Gumpy's Outing
Publisher, Date: Holt, 1970
Notes: With so many animals and children on Mr. Gumpy's boat an accident just might happen.
Author:
Carle, Eric
Title: The Very Clumsy Click Beetle
Publisher, Date: Philomel, 1999
Notes: A little click beetle falls onto his back and try as he might
he can’t seem to flip onto his feet. There is a surprise for readers at
the end.
Author:
Hutchins, Pat
Title: The Doorbell Rang
Publisher, Date: Greenwillow, 1986
Notes: Each time the doorbell rings, there are more children to share
grandma’s wonderful cookies.
Author:
Leaf, Munro
Title: The Story of Ferdinand
Publisher, Date: Viking, 1964
Notes: The classic story of Ferdinand, the bull who would rather sit
and smell the flowers than fight.
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A fun way to introduce
children to the world of reading is through the use of magazines created especially
for them. They will look forward to receiving them in the mail as well as enjoying
them with an important adult. Some suggested titles are:
Babybug
Cricket Magazine Group (1-800-827-0227)
www.cricketmag.com
Rhymes, stories and illustrations for babies, toddlers and parents to read,
recite and enjoy together again and again. Board book format will stand up to
rough handling.
Ladybug
Cricket Magazine Group (1-800-827-0227)
www.cricketmag.com
Stories, songs and games for children ages 3-6 years old to enjoy with an adult.
Spider
Cricket Magazine Group (1-800-827-0227)
www.cricketmag.com
Stories, songs and activity ideas for beginning readers. Recommended for ages
5-8.
Wild Animal
Baby
National Wildlife Foundation (1-800-611-1599)
www.nwf.org
A sturdy, board-book format nature magazine for babies and toddlers ages 12
months to 3 years.
Your Big Backyard
National Wildlife Foundation (1-800-611-1599)
www.nwf.org
An award-winning monthly nature magazine for children ages 3-7 by the creators
of Ranger Rick. [ Back to top ]
All children enjoy music. Simple rhythms, lyrics that reflect the child's world and traditional play songs and simple dances are included on this list. Learning to play music may also help children academically as well. A good music store will have popular musical recodings for children of different ages in many other styles and featuring a variety of artists.
40 Winks
Performed by Jessica Harper
Alacazam!, 1999
"I dreamed my children went to bed and slept all through the night...."
and this lovely recording of original lullabies will help them do just
that.
Babysong
Perofremed by Hap Palmer
Activity Records, 1991
A delightful collection of simple, melodic and entertaining songs that
address the interests and challenges of a young child.
Classical Child at the Opera
Performed by various artists
Metro Music, 2000
The musical quality and catchy tunes in this collection of robust arias
and duets from famous operas will make even opera-phobics pause to listen.
Elmopalooza!
Performed by Sesame Street characters and various artists
Sony Wonder, 1999
Join Elmo, big Bird and the rest of the Sesame Street cast for an all-star,
rock-n-roll extravaganza.
Jazz-A-Ma-Tazz
Performed by Hayes Greenfield and others
Baby Music Boom, 1999
In this introduction to the world of jazz, each cut is a fresh interpretation
of a traditional children’s song or lullaby that the whole family
will enjoy.
For more
suggestions of popular books and recordings for children, visit your neighborhood
library or see our website: www.queenslibrary.org
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