Little Explorers

Very young children want to explore everything in their world and their most important organ for doing that is their hands. In their unconscious manner, children want to know about the properties of materials: metal, rubber, plastic, wood, stone, fiber. They need to experience by feeling, such characteristics as smooth, hard, bumpy, rough, crumbly, floppy, and rigid. And, yes, it is very important to safely learn hot and sharp!

Yet, too often, we abruptly tell them, "no!" or slap their hands when it really isn't necessary. I worked in a toy store for twenty years and I wish there had been more parents, who, instead of keeping small fingers completely at bay had been actively teaching their children how to touch and giving them the language and the experience necessary for further growth.

Young children need to pet, stroke, bang and manipulate all kinds of items made out of all kinds of materials. The most child friendly environment is one in which children have a rich variety of things they are allowed to manipulate: blocks made from different kinds of wood, books both hard cover and paperback, magazines, leather purses and belts, bits of silk, velour and wool, baskets, simple tools and age-appropriate goodies from the hardware store. The nerve endings in our fingers are among our most important assets and children with rich early experiences will be on intellectually sound ground toward preparation for later learning.