Unlocking Your Toddler’s Cognitive Skills: Stacking, Nesting, and Matching Explored
As parents, we marvel at our children’s development, celebrating the major milestones like walking and talking. However, there is a hidden world of cognitive growth happening in between those significant achievements.
Three important skills that emerge during this critical period are stacking, nesting, and matching. Let’s delve into these skills and discover how they contribute to your toddler’s overall development.
Stacking Rings onto a Peg: Discovering Balance and Coordination
Between the ages of 13 and 15 months, your toddler may begin to explore the art of stacking rings onto a peg, a task more complex than simply removing them. If your little one hasn’t quite reached this stage yet, don’t worry. You can engage in a playful game of back-and-forth. Let your child hand you the rings, and then you can take turns stacking them onto the peg. As you play, gently tilt the peg to assist your toddler in placing the rings. With practice, they’ll soon master this skill.
Nesting: Discovering Sizes and Spatial Relationships
Between 12 and 19 months, nesting becomes a fascinating world for your toddler. They will enjoy fitting a smaller cup into a larger one, exploring sizes and spatial relationships. If your child hasn’t shown spontaneous interest in nesting, you can guide them by demonstrating how to place the small cup inside the larger one. Take it slow and describe each step, encouraging them to try it themselves. To add an extra challenge, introduce multiple cups or baskets for nesting.
Puzzle Time: Developing Spatial Awareness
Around 12 to 15 months, your toddler’s spatial skills start to flourish. This is the perfect time to introduce puzzles, such as the Circle of Friends Puzzle. Your little one will gradually learn to place the puzzle pieces correctly. If they become frustrated, consider removing a few middle pieces and cover the corresponding holes with a sheet of paper. By focusing on the larger and smaller circles, your child can experience a sense of accomplishment and build confidence in their puzzle-solving abilities.
Object Matching: Discovering Similarities and Patterns
Between 15 and 19 months, your toddler’s cognitive abilities expand as they embark on the exciting world of object matching. Present your child with two sets of identical objects, such as rings or coins, and encourage them to find the matching pairs. Describe the similarities between the objects and guide them through the process. You can extend this activity by identifying matching items in their surroundings, highlighting common features like color, shape, or texture.
Celebrate Your Toddler’s Progress with Everge
Witnessing your child’s cognitive growth is truly remarkable. As you navigate the stages of stacking, nesting, and matching, remember to celebrate each milestone along the way. Everge provides a wealth of resources and courses designed to support parents like you. Try Everge for free for 30 days and access top-notch materials that will empower you to nurture your child’s development effectively. Embrace this beautiful journey and savor the precious moments of discovery with your growing toddler.
