How can I choose toys that my child will remain interested in for a long time?
The first rule is to make certain that your child is developmentally ready for the toy you select. For instance, if you choose a building block set that your toddler won't be able to assemble without help, the child will quickly become frustrated and lose interest in the toy.

You should also look for toys that your child can play with in a number of ways. A toy that allows a child to pretend can become many things to him or her, and will certainly be more interesting than one that always does the same thing when the button is pressed.

It is also helpful if your child does not have access to too many toys at one time. Children with too many toys often bounce from toy to toy without really enjoying any of them.

If you already have too many toys, consider making only a few available at a time. Then when you bring out a toy that's been put away for awhile, it will seem new again and be of greater interest.

My 2-year-old seems to play and do the same things over and over again. Shouldn't a child be playing with a lot of different toys to have a range of experiences?
While repetition may be boring for you, it's actually important for your toddler's development. Your child's brain is in the midst of strengthening its frequently used synapses, or pathways. Repetition solidifies these pathways and makes transmissions over them quicker.

So if your toddler wants to go down the slide 20 times in a row, it's fun for your child and great way to "exercise".

Why does my 2-year-old seem to engage in "pretend play" so often?
Right now your toddler is concentrating on an important developmental skill. Pretend play is important for 2-year-olds.

When playing "make believe," your child has to separate thoughts from actions. For instance, in order to pretend that a block is a telephone, the child has to imagine the telephone being there without it really being there to see. This is the beginning of abstract thought, which is crucial to many skills such as math, logic, and creativity.

Encourage your toddler's pretend play by providing him plenty of props to play with. They don't have to be toys-ordinary objects such as boxes, blocks, etc, work just fine.

It seems that my 2-year-old son wants to play with trucks, while my 2-year-old niece seems to prefer dolls. Why is this so?
Experts say that gender differences in play preferences occur because of a combination of nature and nurture.

Nature's influence gives boys and girls somewhat different mental skills and emotional styles. Boys tend to be more activity- and spatially-oriented, while girls tend to be more socially-oriented.

How we nurture boys and girls also affects their style of play. If a girl toddler has tended to see her mother engage in more nurturing activities, such as preparing a meal, she's likely to copy that behavior because she's trying to imitate activities that match her gender. If a boy toddler typically sees his father work with tools, he's more likely to copy that behavior because he's getting the sense that is what boys do.

It is important to remember, though, that boys and girls are more alike than they are different. So it is a good idea to encourage both boys and girls to play with both trucks and dolls since each type of play will reinforce different aspects of development.

What toys are suitable for 2-year-olds?
Toys that are fun for 2-year-olds include:

• Dolls and puppets
  
  
• Items for pretend play
  
  
• Toddler tape player
  
  
• 4-6-piece jigsaw puzzles
  
  
• Building blocks
  
  
• Play dough or modeling clay
  
  
• Musical toys
  
  
• Books

Is it okay for my 2-year-old to watch television?
Some experts do not believe that television is appropriate for young toddlers. For instance, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children age 2 years or younger.

Significant brain growth and development occur during the first years of life. In order to support this development, children need to talk to and play with other children and adults. Because experts worry that television watching may discourage this interaction, they advise against it for young toddlers.