DOUGH YOU WANT TO PLAY?

Fun playset, plus reading tip that make learning fun for Junior.

TOY OF THE MONTH

How do you develop your kid’s gross motor skills, enhance his emotional and social development, boost his creativity and increase his attention span – all at the same time? Just give him some play dough. If you don’t want to make your own, try a kit like Moon Dough, which is hypoallergenic and wheat-free. Plus, it never dries out. It comes in various themed packs like Grocery Store, Ice Cream and Breakfast. Prices start from $6.90, and the range is available from Toys “R” Us and major department stores.

QUESTION OF THE MONTH

My four-year-old wants to read the same picture storybook again and again. How do I vary it?
Patricia Koh, founder-director of Pat’s Schoolhouse, shares: “To children, it’s not just about the story but about being together and sharing a good read. So don’t reject him. Make it more interesting – pick a good story and place it on a little story easel so that he knows you have a new story for your “reading together” time. Let him pick a book he likes after you’ve read the new story. If he wants you to read it again, that’s a good indication he loves the new one. You can vary dramatised reading using simple props you can find
in the house. If the story allows
him to join in on the ending words
or phrases, you can pause at
that portion of the sentence
and let him continue. But don’t turn the time into a reading or spelling lesson. He may soon dislike reading altogether.”

Read the November 2011 issue of Young Parents for more expert advice and local tips to make you a better mum or dad.