Toy families

Play a sorting game with your child’s toys. Start with familiar categories—dogs, cats, farm animals and those exciting jungle animals (wow, an elephant!).

You'll Need

  • Toy strewn room
  • Display table or shelf

Learning Stages

Instead of having your child toss all of his toys into a toy box when cleanup time comes, encourage him to make a magnificent display, just like in a toy store! Have him set all his trucks, dolls and animals in a corner of the room or on a low table or shelf, then arrange the toys himself.

Suggest arranging toys into groups by color, size or type (animals, blocks, balls). Help your toddler observe toys with similarities and differences. Play a game of "Largest-to-Smallest" or "What Doesn't Belong?" This helps your toddler practice his classification skills.