

‘A strong predictor of exam grades at the end of secondary is the social development of children as they start school. Amanda Gummer explained that buying toys for four year olds and playing games that encourage turn taking and communication, as well as playing with other children, can have a beneficial impact on their development and success in school later down the line: You may notice that the imaginary games they play are more elaborate, too.Ĭhild development expert and psychologist Dr. Games and toys for four years olds start to become more advanced than the sensory toys they may have played with when they were younger. However, you may need to continue to encourage the concept of sharing and 'playing nicely'. Don't worry, it's natural for this to take some time! Four year olds love to play games with others. They will also be continuing to learn to share toys and take turns. Heather also suggests that the best toys for children of this age will help continue to teach children to share and communicate.Īt this age, children should be getting more to grips with following instructions. So the toys your 4 year old plays with should reflect this. "Early Years foundation skills like fine motor skills, balance and coordination will be vastly improved in a preschool setting," notes Heather Welch, International Brand Manager for Edx Education.
#Pink garbage truck cake how to#
It's a time when your little learner might be trying to work out the link between words and pictures and letters and sounds – which will help them when it comes to learning how to read and write. The age of four is also when most children start pre-school. So no matter whether you're buying a birthday present or looking for the top Christmas toys for your 4 year old, look out for games that encourage imaginative and 'open-ended' play.

Therefore, the best toys for 4 year olds are designed so that they can be played with independently or with friends. For example, you might notice that your little one likes to spend more time playing without adult supervision or help. See all weight loss and exercise featuresĪt the tender age of four, most children begin to develop a stronger sense of self.Child development stages: Ages 0-16 years.See all conception & fertility features.

#Pink garbage truck cake crack#
to soften, then cut shape immediately so it won’t crack or crumble. I used chocolate wafer cookies (usually available near ice cream toppings in my store) for the windows… heat in the microwave for 15-20 sec. I used orange Tic Tacs for the lights (perfect from a design standpoint, but not really enjoyable to eat with the cake). I used Krispy Kreme chocolate mini donuts for the wheels (I liked how substantial they appeared to be in other cakes on this site)-the Krispy Kreme seemed better than other brands as they had a rounder shape. I will say that tripling the pound cake recipe was pushing the capacity of my stand mixer and I was elbow-deep in batter by the end, but it did fit. Both recipes were rather involved and time consuming- but delicious and well worth it. I was very disappointed by the flavor of box-mix decorative cupcakes that I made for my son’s 1st birthday, so I took it to the other extreme and followed Cooks Illustrated recipes for pound cake and vanilla butter cream frosting. This made cutting and shaping the cake a breeze with few crumbs. 5 of them) and froze them (wrapped in plastic wrap and foil) after they were cooled. Both were equally helpful as I frequently switched back and forth between images to figure out how to put it together.Īlthough I do not have specific instructions, I will provide several tips… I baked 3 pound cakes (though, I ultimately only used about 2. I drew much of my inspiration for this cake from other cakes on this site and also relied heavily on actual photographs I took of the garbage truck that hauls our trash. I really wanted a 3-dimensional cake and was surprised that I could not find specific instructions for one online. My son LOVES garbage trucks, so I naturally decided to make a Homemade Garbage Truck Birthday Cake for his 2nd birthday.
