How Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog can prepare your child for pre-school
This toddler toy from Learning Resources helps develop fine motor skills, counting and colour recognition through hands-on play
As parents, we know how important it is to find time to play with our children. Not only is it a chance to have fun and bond with them, but it also allows them to learn new skills that will come in handy when they start nursery or pre-school.
If you’re looking to develop your toddler’s fine motor skills, Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog by Learning Resources is designed to do just that. The toy’s chunky quills encourage tactile play, as you can grab them and push them into Spike’s back. This allows your child to build strength and coordination in their hand muscles, which can help with everyday tasks, such as holding pencils or crayons.
As your child grows, Spike’s colourful quills can aid their colour recognition, as well as their sorting and counting skills. And when playtime is over, the quills can easily be stored inside the hedgehog’s back, ready for next time.
With all that in mind, it’s no surprise Spike has previously been a finalist in the Best Toddler Toy category in our MadeForMums Awards. Read on to discover what a couple of our parent testers had to say about this multi-purpose hedgehog.
“It’s great for hand-eye coordination”
“My little boy loved this toy! It’s really cute, and he enjoyed counting the spikes as he put them into the holes, then packing them away inside the hedgehog afterwards. His actual words when opening the box were ‘Oh wow!’, so it was a definite winner in his eyes.
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“Although he’s mastered placing the quills inside the holes, there’s a lot more this toy can offer as he gets older. The holes are numbered and there are 4 different quill colours, so there’s scope to keep playing with it in the future.”
Charlotte, who tested the toy with her toddler
“It’s really well made”
“The toy took a few hits to the hard floor, thanks to my not-so-delicate toddler, and survived without any problems. It’s definitely sturdy enough to carry in a nappy bag or take on a car journey, as it didn’t scratch, chip or break in any way and everything stayed in place well.
“We used it for identifying colours, and even as a ‘pet hedgehog’ that we built a cardboard house for and pretended to feed lettuce!”
Anita, who tested the toy with her 20 month old
If your child loves Spike, you’ll be pleased to hear there are plenty more Fine Motor Hedgehog toys for them to discover.
The Tissue Pal is stuffed with colourful fabric tissues that your toddler can pull out, while the Poppin’ Shapes Sorter has 5 soft shape pieces that they can slot into designated holes.
There’s also the Fidget Friend, which offers 6 ways for your child to fidget, and the Splashin’ Bath Friends, which is filled with 3 aquatic shapes for them to play with in the bath or paddling pool.
Shop Spike the Fine Motor Hedgehog from Learning Resources now.
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