When a child turns two, they begin seeking independence from their parents and caregivers. A large percentage of these children are going through the "terrible twos" and this developmental phase changes the way they perceive themselves, which is expressed in their play. They go from passive to aggressive, from compliant to dominating and from easy to get along with to the "terrible twos."
It has come to my attention that it is time to consider why Kids Town Playmats exist.
The original Kids Towns Playmat was created because our grandson wanted to take his trains, track and cars to play with when he went on trips with his family. A playmat seemed the simple solution for him and his parents.
Sometimes the definition of the word "play" seems obvious, even though, we really should discuss it. The definition of word "play" is a verb meaning to "engage in an activity for enjoyment and recreation rather than a serious or practical purpose" and the second definition is a verb meaning "to take part in a sport". As a noun "play" means "actively engaged in for enjoyment and recreation." These definitions come from Googling the following "define play." The origin of the word play comes from the Old English "plegian" which means 'to exercise' and Old English "plega" which means 'brisk movement' and Middle Dutch "pleien" which means 'leap for joy,' 'dance'.
It is one of those mysteries of life that is hard to explain, without the assistance of some really good clinical research. Adults like to play, and children need to play. It is even better when children play with adults and adults play with children. Science has proven that play is good for both children and adults, and most of all, it is fun!
Children play to mimic, test, absorb and integrate their experiences. The time your child spends playing alone is necessary, and they need time to play with other children. The most important playtime for your child is with you and possible their grandparents.
It is easy to make playing with children painful. Most of the time it is done without thought or consideration of the difference in ages between the adult and the child. When this happens the adult or older person tends to act as if the child where at least as old they are. When the adult tries to force the child to behave in a manner that is more mature than the child actually is, the results is frustration and disappointment for everyone involved. After all, the child can only behave at the maximum of their current maturity, whereas the older person can behave as any age younger than they currently are.