•  Physical dexterity. Swings, wading pools, doll carriages, child-sized vehicles and ride-on toys help build strength, confidence, and balance.
• Creativity. Finger paints, play dough, paper, and crayons all encourage artistic development, plus the fine-motor skills required for writing.
• Problem-solving. Nature-based activities such as making mud-pies and digging in the sandbox help your child become an experimenter and investigator. Blocks, and anything your child can separate into groups, also encourage both manipulation (good for motor-skill development) and categorization.
• Language development. Reading picture books together is extremely important to building your little one's communication skills.
• Social skills. Dolls and stuffed animals can be used to represent people and play out troubling emotions or situations.
   

Source: Scholastic.com