“First Challenges” is a kit with toys, made to stimulate the development of the Practical Intelligence of babies during the first two years of life.
It is based on the EAIS (Argentine Sensory Motor Intelligence Scale). It is the first instrument created in Argentina for the evaluation of cognitive development in babies from 6 to 30 months. Since there were no national percentiles in Argentine children, a national validation of the EAIS was proposed as an objective. The review of several tests carried out in other countries led to the choice of the Intelligence Stages Scale by Casati and Lezine (1969) as a theoretical basis to develop a standardized instrument for the diagnosis of the intellectual development of Argentine babies from 6 to 24 months. From it we have built in 2002 the Argentine Sensory-motor Intelligence Scale (EAIS – Oiberman, Mansilla & Orellana, 2002; Oiberman, Orellana & Mansilla, 2006).
The First Challenges Kit consists of 9 projects that include 16 toys and the bag itself, which is part of another game element. Each project stimulates an aspect of practical intelligence such as the exploration of objects, the use of intermediaries of different complexity, the combination of objects and the search for missing objects.
The toys are designed with environmentally friendly materials and non-toxic paint. It also has a booklet for parents, teachers and early stimulators with the pertinent explanations of each game situation and the modality to be used. This kit has been prepared taking this modality into account, giving guidelines to the mother or person who offers this function, since the most important thing is not just the toys but accompanied by the game with this significant person for the child. With which a brief training is offered, for the teachers and/or directors of the different educational establishments, who will use it with the children in their habitual practices.
Additional optional: A follow-up of the development of the intelligence of the children pre and post use of the toy bag with its games is also offered.
The objective of this work is to contribute to the normal development of sensory motor intelligence in children from 0 to 3 years of age, with didactic material that allows the child to put into operation intellectual strategies to solve problematic situations for her age.
The toy bag consists of the following materials:
● Bag made of washable material, with velcro closure. It has five interior pockets and one exterior. Blue in color with apple green trim on the outside. Inside red background and apple-green pockets with different positions.
● Cloth dolls and stuffed with non-toxic material-
● Wooden toys (no glues, no toxic substances) and ecological wood (virgin, parked without treatment or adhesives).
The 9 game proposals are as follows:
1- Simple object exploration: Green rag doll with a face (eyes and mouth) and a mirror on the back.
2- Exploration of complex objects: Box – stable with 2 types of openings, farmer and 2 animals. The box consists of two doors: one that opens by lifting a lock, so that the little hen enters and another -blue color and that opens with a key- so that the farmer enters.
3- Search for missing objects: cloth, game of cu – cu. (Square of light fabric, 45 cm on each side).
4- Search for missing objects: Pockets for hide-and-seek games and wooden dolls.
5- Use of simple Intermediaries: 2 Mamuska cloth dolls, male and female, each with a sewn ribbon. (40 cm and 80 cm respectively).
6- Use of Intermediaries, simple support: Materials: Cloth of the cu-cu (Square of light cloth, 45 cm on each side). Wooden doll of your choice, from the bag.
7- Use of Intermediaries, complex support: Wooden disk (fibrous-easy since they will not take it to the mouth), bluish-green and orange on the pivot, 280 mm in diameter, with a hole to insert a rabbit of wood.
8- Use of Rake Intermediaries: Female and male wooden mamushka dolls with a wooden rake (rounded tips).
9- Combination of objects: Tube-rake. (transparent acrylic tube and wool ball and wooden rake).
In addition, a booklet with all the explanation of the intelligence of babies, the stages it goes through, the different mental strategies expected for each age and for each game is incorporated into the set. The games are also specified with the modality in which the adults must present the toys to the baby and what instructions to offer them.
Training service for adults-caregivers-teachers:
The game material needs training workshops for adults who will play using the materials with young children.
Although the instructions are in the manual or booklet, and It is very important to show the quality of the games, the attitudes to take into account with children.
Children play and express their emotions that are linked to the natural development of intelligence or its interruption or difficulties. It is important to make known how far to stimulate or expect the right pace for problem solving.
For these reasons, it is proposed to dictate a workshop before starting to play with the toy bag of 2 hours duration.