Manipulative play includes those activities that require kids to move, arrange the order and turn objects to make something new. Manipulative activities allow children to use hands, feet, and other body parts to handle the objects.

 Manipulative play allows toddlers and preschoolers to control their little world by the object they are having. Manipulative activities have massive benefits for the development of children. They promote effective decision-making, let the kids learn about different shapes, sizes, and promote effective problem-solving.

These activities enhance the kid’s ability to concentrate and to make successful comparisons about various sequences. In the manipulative play, kids learn about the colours, texture, weight, and patterns of various objects. There are several manipulative play activities designed for toddlers and preschoolers keeping their abilities in mind.

1. Soft blocks

 A two years old toddler has the capacity to build a tower of four blocks or even higher than that. The act of assembling has an immense effect on the child’s brain development. It not only helps the kid to build power but also helps in increasing the coordination between hands and eyes and other muscular control.

There are a huge variety of blocks available in the market these days. Gone are the days when kids only had hard blocks to play with. To avoid the risk of any injury, go for soft blocks for your toddler. 

2. Nesting

Assembling nesting cups inside each other may not be a bigger business for the parents but the toddlers find it very fascinating. Little ones find this exercise very interesting and thrilling. These toys being open-ended are the best tools for kids as they have nothing such as right or wrong.

Kids can make whatever they want and do whatever makes them happy, and it all works in the end. Allow your child to place smaller cups on the bigger ones so that he can make high towers. Your little one can also make a train-like structure using these cups. This simple, but effective manipulative play activity will assess the kid's dexterity and support them to improve spatial awareness abilities.

3. Art activity

There is no need to just stick to the toys when you can be creative with the playing activities of your little one. There are no hard and fast rules for manipulative games. You can provide your child with crayons, paints, doughs, and other art and craft materials. Let the creative side of your kid come out.

Do not just rely on pencil colours or marker colour, instead provide a child with different brushes and paints so that he or she can work on his or her hand grip and finger coordination.

4. Pick things up

Place several things such as pom poms, buttons, kitchen utensils like tongs, spoons in the plastic containers  and place them at the table. Ask your preschooler to pick up the things and separate them by colours and purpose. This exercise will give children an understanding of various materials.

Make them understand what the purpose of various tools is and how they work. It is beneficial to team up two to three kids for this exercise so that they can play it well.

5. Nuts and bolts play

Take a tool kit containing nuts, bolts, screwdrivers, etc., and place them at the table. Use the nuts and bolts with different shapes and sizes. Ask the younger ones to learn their use and real-life implications.

You can ask them to build something out of these tools or simply practice how to use them. This play is not only fun but also greatly supports visual and  fine motor skills.

6. Sort-and-count game

Take toys of the same size but different in nature, mix them. You can take any kind of toy such as cars, blocks, kitchen toys, or various forms of blocks. Mix all these toys in different boxes or containers. Ask kids to sort them out. Children can group up similar toys and place them separately.

After sorting them out, ask kids to count how many toys of similar types they are having. This exercise is effective to enhance their skills to arrange different things and to sort them out.

7. Lacing activities

Take cups and ask children to poke holes in the cups and lace some ribbons through the holes to make a garland. Kids can also colour the cups using different vibrant colours to make them look eye-catching.

These activities will help the children to arrange different objects to create something beautiful and appealing. Kids can also use picture cards and colourful beads to lace up.

Summary

The benefits of manipulative play for children are beyond imagination. Kids love to take the objects out of the containers. You can make it more interesting for children by allowing them to create whatever they want out of those objects. These activities positively impact hand and eye coordination.

Manipulative activities help kids to develop deep collaborative skills and determination when things do not work. Using the right kind of play can develop problem-solving abilities, creative and critical thinking among children.

Do not worry about the mess and provide your kids with art and craft tools. Allow them to make creative objects using different colour schemes. Provide them with creative art and craft tools so that they can learn something new and interesting every day.

Allow children to explore the world. Let them be creative in everything that they do. Know that kids always learn when they practice. These manipulative play activities can help them solve problems and to come up with creative solutions. Creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, and self-direction are the skills that kids will require to become successful in the future.