I am easily overwhelmed by clutter. Unfortunately I am also very easily tempted by the idea of having new things. When I became a mom my life was turned upside down and things were often chaotic. To alleviate
some of my stress I reached out to a friend whose area of expertise is learning through play. Her words of wisdom have made a big difference in the way I engage with my little one and the progress we have made as
it relates to learning.
Her words were simple: “At any given time only make three toys or interactive learning tools to your baby” She calls this the Pick Three Method. Her method is not simply about selecting three toys. The idea behind her method
is intentionality in what we select.
Pick a Toy For Outdoors
Your baby needs outdoor time. This is important in more ways than one. Outdoor time will improve their biome activate their vitamin D and expose them to environmental concepts not available inside the house. Early one the
outdoor choices can be as simple as a splash pool. As your toddler develops you can add an element of learning by using kits that expose them to the basics of science such as planting seeds, looking for bugs or spotting birds. Consider
also toys that help improve motor skills such as a bike, trike or scooter.
Pick a Toy For Autonomous Play & Comfort
The reality of parenting is that you are not always available. Pick a toy that will keep your little one busy while you are trying to tackle other matters such as potty breaks for yourself or cooking a simple meal. When selecting toys for autonomous interaction take into account safety as well as the level of soothing comfort it delivers to your little one. This is the right place for a lovey or even media via a phone or tablet.
Pick a Toy For Learning
All play is about learning and development in one way or another; with that in mind we also need to acknowledge that some toys are far more useful for the task. For learning we love books, flash cards, interactive objects that facilitate groupings such as farm animals or blocks. We use our baby sign language flash cards to learn songs to introduce our babies to color and shapes and to facilitate learning of concepts such as up, down more, less, big and small.
Having reduced our toy availability to three at the time has given us a great deal of joy while helping remove some of the burden caused by clutter. Give it a try. Perhaps today is the day to Mary Kondo your child’s life.
