Nicknames are the best.
There is nothing more personal and endearing than a nickname. It means something is special.
Our two week stint at the Bryant Park Winter Village allowed me to see the bestowing of nicknames up close. So many toddlers came in, took one look at an Inkling and named it.
Ollie became Birdy, Chicky, and Hei Hei (the rooster from Moana)
Gus was called Blue, Tusky and Dumbo (due to the large elephant ears).
Wobby was my favorite moment. When children and adults alike tried to figure out what Wobby was... if you were of the younger generation then there were a lot of Owls and Bears. But if you were a 90s baby or older, it was Gizmo or Furbee or one of the toys from Dr Who.
I loved every minute of it. Inklings obviously aren't boring. They make you think and wonder and use your imagination.
When researching nicknames, I came across this article about how giving unique names to children's toys helps infants distinguish between different objects.
There was a study done by Northwestern that shows how parents can help recognition skills early on by naming toys and saying these names to their child.
For example, "Go grab Ollie the bird."
"Encoding objects in memory and recalling them later – a skill that starts to develop in infancy – is fundamental to human cognition."
I don't know about you, but having a 6 and 4 year old, deep in the trenches of reading and writing, I will take any advice on how to make learning easier.
So go ahead and name that toy with the toddler in your life. You can use the Inklings names or make up new ones. It is only making them smarter!
I-N-K-L-I-N-G-S INK INK INKLINGS!
OLLIE, WOBBY, DIGBY, MARLEY, JAFFY & GUS!