GIFTGUIDE | 1-2 YEARS

Between the ages of 1 and 2, children go through enormous developments in motor skills, language, cognition, and social-emotional skills.

Motor development
At this age, children learn to walk, run, climb and discover how to use their hands and fingers better. Their fine motor skills are refined, allowing them to pick up small objects better and better.

1. Push and pull toys
   This allows children to practice walking and improve their balance. Think of a wooden walker or a pull figure.
   Gift tips: Grimm's - tractor truck
2. Stacking toys and blocks
   These stimulate fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and the ability to manipulate objects.
   Gift tips: Wooden Story - wooden blocks , Grimm's - blocks , Mushie - stacking cups , Wooden story - stacking game
3. Activity tables
   Tables with knobs, slides and turns help to improve fine motor skills and keep children busy.
4. Climbing frame
   Under supervision, young children can use a climbing arch to practice standing up, holding on and climbing carefully. The arch helps develop balance, strength and coordination.
   Gift tips: Madoti - pikler triangle or climbing arch

Cognitive development
Toddlers are beginning to understand how the world around them works. They discover cause and effect relationships, such as that a ball rolls when you push it. They are also beginning to use their memory and can follow simple instructions.

• Shape sorter
  Helps children recognize and sort shapes, which boosts their problem-solving skills.
  Gift tips: Wooden story - shape sorter
• (Color) sorting toys
  From about 1.5 years of age, children can start with simple color recognition and sorting, for example by sorting colored rings or blocks.
  Gift tips: Grimm's - wooden sorting tree , Grimm's - 7 rainbow friends in containers
• Simple puzzles
  Large pieces that fit into the shapes of a picture stimulate spatial insight and fine motor skills.
  Gift tips: Wooden story - wooden shape puzzle
• Moving toys
  For example, when children roll a ball or drive a car, they are discovering the concept of cause and effect. This kind of action-reaction play is essential for cognitive development at this stage.
  Gift tips: Grimm's - large wooden balls, Grimm's - wooden cars
• Assemble and disassemble toys
  By putting the pieces together and taking them apart, children discover the concept of cause and effect: when they put a piece together correctly, something happens. This promotes understanding of how actions affect outcomes, which is a basic principle of learning.
  Gift tips: SmartMax - my first , Grimm's - 7 rainbow friends in boxes

Language development
At this stage, children begin to babble, learn words and form simple sentences. They understand more words than they can say and begin to understand simple instructions.

1. Picture books
   Books with simple pictures and short stories stimulate language development and the ability to associate words with objects.
   Gift tips: Books
2. Singing and talking toys
   Toys that sing or pronounce words encourage children to imitate sounds and expand their vocabulary.
3. Cuddly toys or dolls
   This allows them to practice expressing emotions and role-playing.
   Gift tips: We Are Gommu - mini baby soft

Social - emotional development
Toddlers begin to recognize emotions in themselves and others. They also develop their own will and can become frustrated when something doesn't work out. This stage is the beginning of their independence and social interactions.

1. Role play toys
   Think of kitchen sets, telephones or doctor's sets with which children can recreate situations from everyday life.
   Gift tips: Tré Timber Toys - wooden kitchen box , Tré Timber Toys - wooden workbench box
2. Cuddly toys : These help with comfort and can be a friend, which is important for developing social skills and empathy.
   Gift tips: We Are Gommu - mini baby soft
3. Co-Play Toys : Simple toys such as a ball or building blocks can be used with an adult or other child, helping to teach sharing and playing together.
   Gift tips: Grimm's - large wooden balls, Wooden Story - wooden blocks , Grimm's - blocks

Sensory development
Children between the ages of 1 and 2 are curious about different textures, sounds and materials. They want to feel, hear and smell to understand their environment.

1. Toys with different textures
   Soft, hard, rough and smooth surfaces give them sensory experiences.
   Gift tips: Sarah's Silks - play silk
2. Musical toys
   Rattles, drums, xylophones and other simple musical instruments stimulate their hearing and sense of rhythm.
   Gift tips: Wooden story - rattles
3. Sensory Balls : Soft balls with different textures and colors stimulate the sense of touch and are fun to throw and catch.
   Gift tips: Natruba - sensory balls
   

One beautiful, shared gift
Children are often showered with gifts. On their birthday and during the holidays. But eventually one gift will be the favorite and the rest will be redundant. Save all the money and go for one beautiful gift that will be played with for a long time. Quality over quantity. Open-ended toys are the solution. They have a long lifespan because they grow with your child. In addition, they promote ingenuity, creativity and fantasy. And brothers and sisters can also play with them. But toys that you can expand and collect are also valuable.
Investment gift tips: Grimm's - large pyramid block set , Madoti - pikler triangle or climbing arch