Home

My Busy Workbench

3-6

YEARS

My Busy Workbench

Developmental Benefits

Creative Play

Independent Play

Language Development

Motor Skills

Problem Solving

Role Play

Developmental Benefits

My Busy Workbench

Use imagination in a variety of ways and contexts to communicate ideas
When children engage in creative play they are showing that they have the ability to produce something new and original. Children benefit from opportunities where they are free to use their imagination and explore. In order for creative play to occur children need to be in an environment that is rich in stimulation. Curiousity will drive children to take part in creative play.
Creative play is different from other forms of play; it enables children to develop confidence in their own abilities as they begin to think and work independently. Games and activities that provide choices and also a number of alternative solutions encourage a certain amount of risk-taking. Games with alternative answers can lead children to think creatively and differently. Children need encouragement to play and think creatively. Opportunities to engage in creative play boost children’s confidence and enable them to come up with better ideas. Children benefit from the knowledge they gain through creative play.

Games and voice prompts allow children to control the pace.
Early play in infants tends to be solitary or takes place alongside other children. Young children learn how to interact with other children through play but they can also explore and learn independently. The initial play experience for infants is when they begin to explore through moving and acting upon the world. Many toys offer infants the opportunity to learn more about their world. Young children will sometimes act out some aspect of their lives e.g. going to the shops and then they involve their toys in these activities. These young children are playing independently but they are also reinforcing their understanding of the social world by acting out scenarios.
Young children can consolidate their existing skills by repeating actions whilst playing a game. Learning to play independently has its benefits, for instance, children using an educational game can control their own pace. Children sometimes choose to work independently in order to build up their confidence. Toys and computer games that facilitate independent activity at the right level for the child enhance problem solving skills and increase hand and eye coordination. Although cooperative play increases during childhood, children still spend the equivalent amount of time in solitary or independent play.

Introduces the alphabet, letter sounds and vocabulary.
Babies start to babble at an early age and this can be seen as the first signs of language. They are predisposed to pick up the sounds of the language that they hear around them. Adults can facilitate babies’ language development by playing with them, focussing on particular toys, reading books and naming everyday objects. The more babies are exposed to language the faster they will begin to pick up it up. There are social skills involved in language acquisition such as realising that it is necessary to wait until the other person has finished speaking. Babies begin to learn about conversational turn-taking from an early age; if a baby is babbling the adult waits for a pause and then talks to the baby. Babies learn to take turns even before they are using words. Social interaction is important for language development and turn-taking games are a fun and educational way for babies and young children to learn.
Young children also need to practice their language skills. Toys that name alphabet letters and everyday words satisfy young children’s need for repetition and rehearsal when practicing words and sounds. For instance, young children can press a button repetitively to hear the same sound or word again. Babies and children learn a lot through repetition and pick up words rapidly in this way. Once children begin to read their vocabulary expands enormously.

Encourages fine motor skill development.
An infant’s growth and development in the first year of life is rapid. Many movements that young babies make are in preparation for the next stage of their development. When young babies watch a mobile they are constantly moving their head, arms, legs and even their mouths in response to the movement of the toy. Sound and movement attract a baby’s attention; if a toy is placed almost within reach of babies their movements become more animated. Bath toys provide opportunities to develop and use motor skills to great effect. For example, a young baby has greater control over their leg movements than their arms. You will often see young babies in a bath reaching with their legs towards a floating toy and kicking. All these movements strengthen muscles in readiness for the next stage - walking.
As babies develop they become more adept at grasping objects. Young infants learn to grasp an object, for instance a cube. The grasping, at first, is quite clumsy but through repetition, and across time, infants become adept at grasping and develop fine motor skills. Infants first use the ulnar grasp where their fingers close against the palm when trying to hold an object. Within another month they are able to move the object from hand to hand. After the first year, infants adopt the ‘pincer grasp’ where they use their thumb and index finger to grasp even very tiny objects. Shape sorters help infants to fine tune their visual perception and hand coordination. Soon infants are building towers with two cubes; this also requires fine coordination skills. As the child grows computer games have been shown to help with hand and eye coordination. Spatial skills can also be enhanced when playing games that require concentration, quick responses and finely tuned motor skills.

Develops logic skills and strategic thinking through memory.
Babies become increasingly adept at solving problems as their motor skills become more finely tuned. Problem solving in infancy and childhood is about directing attention towards a goal and behaving in such a way as to achieve a successful outcome. For instance, a young infant who sees an adult hide a toy under a blanket will cease to look for it whereas an older infant will pull away the blanket to reveal the toy. These types of actions are the foundations of problem solving behaviour. Babies and children love games where they have to find a hidden object; they can have fun and at the same time increase their problem solving capabilities.
Babies love to explore and experiment with the world. At the end of the first year infants are exploring the features of objects by handling and playing with them in new ways. For instance, when babies are trying to fit a block through a hole they will twist, turn and push it until it fits through the space. Babies are also expanding their problem solving skills by learning to look for objects in more than one place. Adults can help with the development of problem solving in young children by directing attention to the potential solution to a problem. As children grow they learn to direct their attention and plan their actions. Thinking about actions ahead of time and planning what do next is all part of problem solving. Playing games, whether it is on a computer or with another person can enhance problem solving skills.

Develops imagination and encourages cooperation, listening and turn-taking.
Role play is a form of social pretend play. Children benefit from social pretend play because it can help them to revisit events that may have provoked some anxiety in the past. For instance, after a visit to the doctors children often play at being doctors and nurses. Role play not only reflects but also contributes to children’s cognitive and social skills. Playing out an experience enables children to understand more about it.
Research has shown that during social pretend play, young children’s interactions last longer, are more engaging and also more cooperative. Nursery school children who spend more time in socio-dramatic role playing are also perceived as more socially competent by their teachers. Role play enhances many cognitive abilities such as sustained attention, memory, language and literacy skills, and helps children to understand and manage their emotions. Role play is generally a social activity but some children can engage in solitary role play where they create imaginary companions. Games where children can create worlds and populate them with their own characters can be beneficial.

Best for ages:

3 to 6 Years

Highlights

What do you want to build today? Get started with the My Busy Workbench.

Description

What do you want to build today? Get started with the My Busy Workbench. The workbench can be assembled for the first DIY project using the included power tools. Then, use the hand tools to hang the clock on the peg board with the wrench or screw in the pegs to hang the tools. Three cool power tools make quick work of any project. Explore the drill press, sander, and circular saw, and hear sounds and facts about each one when placed on the bench. Let's build something special! Build discovery with nine project ideas young builders can make with the included tools and building pieces. Light-up buttons introduce the drill, saw, screwdriver, vise, and hammer, their colors, and a little joke—nailed it! Three modes help kids explore all the tool-riffic things the workbench has to offer, listen to music while they work, and show off their discoveries in Quiz mode. Keep a tidy workspace with storage and trays that hold all the tools and building pieces when not in use. You’re a fantastic fixer!

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer.

Products

Brands

Downloads

Parents

Customer Support

Where to Buy

My Busy Workbench

Developmental Benefits

Developmental Benefits

My Busy Workbench

Recommended Products

VTech Toys

Customer Support

About VTech

Other VTech Sites