Link Toys for Many Uses

Description

Looking for a baby gift? Links are a great first toddler toy. They are easy to grip for little fingers and will also become a "mommy helper" later. They are colored links which usually come in a pack with various colors and amounts. Some are solids and some have patterns. A few have raised textures on them. We like the solid color rings because it offers a lot of teaching opportunities.

Exploration

• Hand one link to your baby and let him/her practice grasping the link to help develop strength in their hands.
• When their hands become stronger and more coordinated, link them in pairs or two or three links to one to make a "shaker".

Numbers and Number Sense

• Use number vocabulary to introduce quantity. Show link sets of one and two links at a time while asking your child, "Would you like one link or two links?" When they pick the one link, again reinforce the concept with words like, "Great, you chose the two links.
• Separate a color and make link sets of one, two or three and ask if they would like "One blue or two blue or three blue links. Again reinforce their choice with a numerical value. "Oh, you chose the two blue links."
• Practice quantity and have a pile of 3-4 links, hold out your hand and ask for one link,and then two links.

Patterns, Sorting and Classifying

• Find three containers or baskets and put one color in each. Show your child by dropping a matching color link into the corresponding basket. Encourage your child to find a matching color to drop in the container.
• They are hard for little fingers to link together, but they can line them up in patterns or you can link them.
• Work with two colors and start a pattern red-blue-red-blue-red and ask which color is next.

Collecting Information

• Line up three links of different colors in front of your child and ask, "Which is the red link?"
• While playing ask them to hand you a red link or hand them the link and say, "Here is the red link." This will help build color recognition.

Other Ideas

• Is your child starting to play the "drop toy, mommy pick up game yet?" Use links to attach toys to car seats, strollers, and changing tables to keep toys from being constantly dropped. Going on a trip? These links will keep toys from slipping between chairs whether you use a car seat or the airplanes belts.
• Attach loveys, soft books with rings, and small toys.
• Great for adding extra toys to play mats.
• Got Twins? Or Siblings?...slipping a ring on their lovey or other stuffed animal is great way of identifying which lovey or animal belongs to who and they will recognize it quickly too!