Sebastian works on Saturdays and Sundays, so we take our weekend on Monday and Tuesday.
We've been having so much fun watching Pan really begin to play and explore his independence in the physical world. He is only 15 months old, but he's got incredible will and sturdiness for all that he is still a baby.
He's had a really amazing energy about him since birth (he came in completely pink, pumping his fists and yelling), and though the first months with him were hard, hard, hard, as he has gained mobility and the ability to communicate his wants and needs, he's become so much happier.
I've been doing quite a bit of reading on the very young child lately, but it's a bit tricky with Pan because, while he is definitely not content with the type of play that is written about for "babies" of his age, he is also not quite developmentally there for the more imaginative play of the 2-3 year old. I can ask him to make me something yummy in his kitchen and he'll bang around a bit and bring me a pot of something and make his little eating noises, but its mostly just about the banging for him -- exploring sounds and spaces and objects with his body...
Like:
- Climbing in and out of things (his little push cart, cardboard boxes, the laundry basket -- also snug corners, like the space between the chair and the window).
- A pillow pile on the floor (especially when mama is making the bed).
- Pushing things across the floor (chairs, boxes, his little toy piano).
- On walks, he loves veering off the sidewalk to run up the path to someone's house. Also, every set of stairs gets climbed and uneven paving on the sidewalk gives him pause before stepping up and over (or else, he trips).
Of course, his toy shelf gets a bit of play, but at this stage its mostly just to pull things off to the floor (it makes such a satisfying sound).
I'm thinking I'd like to create a little indoor sandspace for him out of a plastic bin. This has incredible mess potential, but also some great sensory play...
What kind of play do you do with a child that is sort of in between developmental stages?
+Chelsea
