Posted Mar. 1, 2023

Today we’re talking about kids who are between 2 and 4. Some parents dread this age because they’ve heard of the “Terrible Twos and Threes”!  If you understand what is going on in the development of their brain, then their actions make a lot more sense. Remember also that their body is physically growing at a rapid rate and learning to control this body suit is challenging. Yes they can run and climb but they seem so clumsy. How would you feel if you grew a foot taller this year. You’re banging your head on everything. You’re looking down at everything from a new perspective. Your clothes never fit and maybe your arms also grew and you’re feeling like a monkey. Are you going to grow a tail next? This is also the age where full sentences start forming. Imagine yourself going to another country where no one speaks English. You’re struggling every day to communicate with those around you. That’s what is happening to kids at this stage. They probably can say a few words, but they want more. It’s a real complex challenge.

....the following is an excerpt from “Design for Play” by Richard Dattner

“This is called the “preconceptual phase”. During this phase the child develops the ability to create symbols, to imitate the activities of others, and to learn language. The creation of symbols – the representation of an external action or object by an internally created symbol – precedes the development of language in a child and is in fact a necessary prerequisite for that development. The development of symbolic thought means the child can now differentiate between the symbol and the thing it symbolizes, a vast step toward the development of adult intelligence. At this point the child is no longer limited to the world of his immediate environment, for he can now create new situations in his imagination through the use of symbols.

Until about the age of four, children are so involved with themselves that little attention is available for the activities of other children. They may play together, but their play is primarily individual. They do, however, enjoy the presence of other children in a condition of “parallel play”, where each is immersed in a world of fantasy creation but occasional interaction takes place.”

Tadpole hole at Discovery Park is aimed at this age. The huge sandbox is the first draw. Most public parks have taken out the sandboxes. But a truck, bucket and a little shovel can provide endless ways to explore. Then they discover mud pie bakery where a child can imitate mom. The big slide is really scary, the older ones are wanting to explore it. They climb up into a tower, look down the long tube at mom saying she will catch them. Some gather up the courage, others go back down the steps – just wanted to see it, maybe next time. The train is next on the list.