Play evolves, during these months, into a more sociable activity. Kids this age tend to engage in parallel play. They’ll busy themselves beside another child, copy each other and use the same materials, but they aren’t quite playing together. It’s a good idea, if you can, to have two of some toys when your child has a buddy over.

As parallel play becomes a bit more co-operative, playsets such as a garage, farm or fire station are good choices; there will be enough animals, tractors and cars for each child to have his own game going on.

A drawer in your kitchen (far from the stove) with plastic containers, real pots, nesting measuring cups, wooden spoons gives your child a chance to play alongside you while you’re busy.

Simple puzzles are interesting — how do those pieces go together? Choose wooden puzzles with three to five pieces and little knobs for easier handling.

Fat crayons are best for scrib-bling and won’t break like the smaller version.

Balls develop hand-eye co-ordination and upper body strength. Have several balls of different sizes, some that fit in your child’s palm, some that he needs two hands to hold.

Books! Your child can follow a bit of text now — by three, many can enjoy a “real” story and are very attached to their books. He will still like books with babies doing interesting things, but animals (especially noisy animals), rhymes and repetition are also favourites at this age.

Let the music play! Children this age sometimes like a little CD player — another interesting cause-and-effect toy. But you’ll want to sing to your child too. When you sing, kids this age experience a personal connection to the music that recordings don’t provide.

Blocks are great for building and pretending. Choose some that aren’t too big and heavy, so she can manoeuvre them easily.

A ride-on toy is fun in a hallway or safe driveway and by about 36 months, some children can manage a small tricycle (great for growing muscles, not so great for your walls).

For vital outdoor play, you may want to set up a sandbox now (younger children might be tempted to taste). Add shovels and pails for filling and dumping. Dampen the sand so it doesn’t blow into anyone’s eyes.

A walk in the park or around the block is full of interesting things when you’re a toddler. Let him set the pace — he may want to spend time picking up sticks or watching a dump truck on the road.

Pretend play blossoms through these months with more elaborate stories. Provide dolls and simple dress-up items such as hats, flat shoes or a piece of fabric draped like a shawl.

Following are some tips for play and playtime:

Choose safe, durable and, if possible, washable toys. Make sure there are no small parts that could be a choking problem.

Choose toys that are to scale. While you want a variety of toys so your child can explore big and little, heavy and light, he should be able to maneuver his playthings.

Go for real objects. Children love the authentic things they see beloved grown-ups using. Perhaps you can find him an old phone (no cord), a set of keys or some flat shoes.

Provide a range of materials. Plastic is great, but there are other materials to explore. Make sure a good number of toys are made of wood, metal and fabric, and go beyond primary colors.

Support your child’s play. If she’s running a car back and forth on the table, do the same. She’ll feel you value her game. If you make your car go in elaborate circles, the play becomes more of a lesson in “Let me show you how to run the car.”

Try not to interrupt. If your baby is busy figuring out how his measuring cups fit together, let him go to it. The diaper change can probably wait a few minutes.

Talk! One of your most important roles in play is to talk to your child about what she’s doing. Through these years, she’s learning language — you help that happen when you put words to objects, actions, ideas and emotions.