Motor Skills - Porcupine Toy!

Recently, I’ve been sharing my recommendations for toys that allow my one year old daughter to practice her fine motor skills because when I look for toys, I try to make sure each one addresses at least one of the developmental stages that children go through. My daughter is at the stage where she plays a little more independently and enjoys exploring. It is such a fun stage to engage in play with my daughter. And when she plays on her own, I can take a few moments to rest and just enjoy watching her curiosity.

As a mom and certified educator, I’ll share a few tips about Learning Resources’ porcupine toy. I'll also share some educational insights that are quick and to the point so multitasking moms like me can be a mom-boss (or dad-boss) while making sure your baby is the smartest baby on the block!

Learning Resources has a lot of fun, learning toys for children. I found this porcupine toy on Amazon and thought it was so cute! I didn’t realize it was as small as it is, so just a heads up on that. And if your child is still chewing on toys, the spikes are easy to bend, as you might be able to tell in my picture. Other than that, here are fun ways to engage in learning with your child.

1. Take turns placing the spikes in the porcupine. When you model how something should be done, your child is able to copy that action. You’re probably noticing that your child is copying a lot of what you do. This is one way she is learning!
2. Likewise, take turns taking the spikes out of the porcupine. When I first was playing this with my daughter, I had to hold her hand a bit to help her with these actions. Just a couple months later, she is able to do it on her own.
3. If you want to set yourself up for a challenge, you can practice putting the spikes in the porcupine’s storage compartment! This is a nice feature of the toy, otherwise spikes are all over the place!
4. As we play, sometimes I will call out the numbers and count a few at a time. I’ll pick up one, say “one”, pick up another and say “two” and so forth. I don’t go too high at this point. Eventually I’ll count up to twelve and point to the numbers on the porcupine. I’ll also say the color names more often too.
5. Then, in the months to come, I’ll ask my daughter to pick up the color spike I call out. I’ll also have her to point to number one, then two and so forth. Then, when she’s ready I’ll ask her to repeat the number names and color names with me.
6. If you and your child come to love the porcupine character, there are other toys with him!

When you say the words for your child, you are modeling. When you ask her to repeat them, you are working together. When you ask her to identify them, she is applying what she is learning to show you on her own! And that in itself, is an educational technique.