View Full Version : Thinking caps on ladies and gents please!
WibbleWobble
17-02-2011, 08:21 AM
Ok folks...you know me by now....dippy, drippy and bit with the fairies!
This post is just one of those times of dippiness!
I need some advice and ideas on next steps for a 20month old child who spent half an hour trying to undo the alan key screws on my little ikea table with a set of real keys (these are for play-clean and new on a key ring). I have written it up as an observation and need to do next steps for him. I am usually good at this but i am stumped.
he is 20 months old but possibly the brightest child i know...he understands EVERYTHING you say to him and is very very sensible.
he has repeated this activity many times over the last week.... sits there saying "fix it" "better" "good" etc totally involved with it!:laughing:
i do have a play DIY kit from ELC and a play work bench...these i put out but he was not interested really. but he did take the play saw and try to saw the leg off the table! I have a board with lots of locks on it but that dont float his boat either.
Help me please
mandy xxxx
I was going to say tool sets but as you've already tried that then no.
Have you got a cash box. Could put something in it and lock it then give him the key to play at locking and unlocking.
Big tubs with large screw lids see if he likes unscrewing things.
Wind up toys, looking at twisting hand movements.
Mouse
17-02-2011, 10:47 AM
How about getting him a set of real allen keys - the sort on a keyring where they're all attached together? Places like Asda and the pound shop sell them cheap.
They come in different sizes, so you can introduce vocabulary relating to size & the idea of increasing/decreasing size. Then just let him go round trying to fix things. If he hasn't been frustrated by the fact that he can't undo the table, then pretending to do it is obviously something he enjoys. Rather than try to move him onto doing something different, use his interest to introduce new ideas to what he's already doing. Not sure if I'm making sense there - I know what I mean!
What I mean is, don't look at what he's enjoying doing and try to get him to do something different, but leave him doing what he enjoys and add some ides to it.
snufflepuff
17-02-2011, 10:50 AM
I remember a post on here about giving children real tools. How would you feel about that? My son plays with a real screw driver- tries to undo the battery compartments on his toys!
The Juggler
17-02-2011, 12:09 PM
if it's the alan keys he likes it might be that its the rotation of the keys and the screws that he is interested in (nice little schema in there for you).
Does your work bench have screws and a spanner/screwdriver. You might need to just demonstrate to him how to put them in/tighten/untighten them.
or other things that turn - wind up torches might be good - my bright little 22month old loves these.
manjay
17-02-2011, 12:21 PM
My children are not interested in the plastic tool kit but give them real tools and they are sorted. what about using a chunky screwdriver and big screws and letting him screw them into a block of polystyrene?
sandy64
17-02-2011, 01:21 PM
can i borrow him ive a flat pack wardrobe to put up at weekend lol:laughing:
what about those elc trains /cars that you put together with a srew driver and theres a large set half price which you can make anythink with wheelbarrow/pram etc or hirer him out:)
kindredspirits
17-02-2011, 01:25 PM
what about either meccano (the young child stuff) where he can really build things or the 'real construction' set in argos for about a tenner - its a 'real' saw, nails and hammer that you saw up wood coloured polystyrene.
WibbleWobble
17-02-2011, 02:55 PM
can i borrow him ive a flat pack wardrobe to put up at weekend lol:laughing:
what about those elc trains /cars that you put together with a srew driver and theres a large set half price which you can make anythink with wheelbarrow/pram etc or hirer him out:)
OH wants him to come when we have been to IKEA!:laughing:
thanks to all of you for this.....i did have most in mind especially the real tools.....i think he is "big enough" but obv with very very close supervision. thanks for giving me the confidence to go on with this.
love as always
mandy xxx