INTRODUCTION

      Do you recall what it was like to be a child at play, excited about discovery, eager to learn? First came shapes, colors, and sounds. Then there were toys.

      The toys a child plays with can unlock the door to learning, and each new experience helps to turn the key.

      How much did we learn through our play? How much can your child learn? You’d be surprised.

      Take a moment and touch different objects around you—feel the textures: water, stucco, wood, plastic, glass, paper, fabric, skin, hair. Most of us have forgotten the sheer joy of such discoveries!

      Listen to sounds: laughter, talking, music, traffic, planes overhead, birds singing.

      And be aware of the smells! Take in the aroma of food cooking with spices, sniff a bouquet of flowers, inhale the scent of newly cut grass or freshly baked bread.

      Listen. Smell. Touch. See the things around you as a child sees them.

      Your child delights in each discovery from the simple to the complex. A baby absorbs information by reaching and touching, exploring the world with fingers and toes and mouth, and making contact with people and things.

      If you observe your child playing, you’ll discover the learning processes he moves through at each stage of his development. If you are involved with these stages, you can experience the same magic your child is feeling.

      As your little one grows, you want to provide toys and activities to enhance his or her play.

      In this book I want to help you identify specifics that will bring good results and to find the right toy for the right stage of your child’s progress.

      You will learn which kinds of toys improve observation and skills—and how to properly use these playthings so your child’s thinking, feeling, self-expression, and physical dexterity are each enhanced.

      One of our primary roles as parents is to protect our children. I’ll point out basics of well-designed, sturdy, and safe products. You’ll learn what to look for when selecting a toy.

      Another role is as your child’s first teacher and “Play Guide.” You’ll be provided with plenty of tips on how to best introduce a toy to your child, how to gain his interest, and how to keep it.

      You will find out how to balance your world with your child’s play world and, most important of all, you’ll learn to respect and more fully understand the importance of play for children, parents, and other adults..

      You are your child’s first “Big Toy.” So the more you know about yourself, your child’s development, and her play patterns, the more you’ll be able to use toys and yourself as learning and skill-building tools.

      Although learning follows a sequence of gradual stages, each child learns at her own rate. Children cannot be pushed, pulled, rushed, or hurried. By absorbing, practicing, learning from mistakes, but most of all through discovery, each will advance as his individuality dictates. This natural drive to discover through play becomes the essence of a happy childhood.

      You will find out how to encourage your child’s PQ, Play Quotient. As your child’s “Play Guide,” not only will you help your young one learn more, you’ll also teach the skills to be happier, more involved, and get along better with others.

      You can easily enhance your son or daughter’s P.Q./Play Quotient as you choose toys carefully. And you’ll enjoy playing as well. A playful parent encourages a child to be playful—a more playful child is a more aware, smarter, and more resilient one. The benefits of play to the whole family are enormous.

      And do I need to mention how your whole relationship with your child will be strengthened?

      Let’s get started on your pathway as your child’s “Play Guide.”