What the toys in your little one’s lives are helping them learn! Teachers' Day Special

  • Sep 03, 2018
  • What the toys in your little one’s lives are helping them learn! Teachers' Day Special

    Do you remember that doll who sat in the corner when you played house and listened to all you said?

    She was the most patient listener you ever encountered!  Maybe for some, it was a stuffed toy that slept with them every night and made sure you never felt lonely.

    For yet another one of you, it was that lovely set of alphabet blocks that you could create the most fantastic structures from.

    Toys have been our companions, our confidantes and yes, our teachers too!

    Just like a good teacher who provides direction without force, free play teaches children to explore their surroundings, their own strengths and discover the world for themselves.

    Apart from the obvious benefits of play like motor skill development and enhanced muscle development with the physical activity involved, play teaches emotional and social skills

    What do toys teach our children?

    Play teaches little ones -  

    Shapes, colors, number, and sizes – In other words the physical properties of what they see around them.  It encourages children to examine toys, observe, match, count, and sort, etc.

    Problem-solving and creativity

    When your child tries to fit balance a block on another or build the tallest tower with them, it is an exercise in creativity and imagination.

    When they try and play with a shape sorting toy and try and push a square through a round hole and realize it cannot be done, it teaches them problem-solving.

    Sharing and cooperation

    Taking turns with a toy, or waiting for a swing at the playground, playing as a team at tug of war, is teaching your little one about sharing and cooperation.

    Social skills

    Have you seen little ones playing at being a chef? It is a whole education in social skills when the use their cooking set toy to serve up the pretend food on a pretend plate just as an adult would.

    Every time you say ‘Thank you’ or praise them for their pretend meal, they learn much, including good manners.

    Learn about friendship and empathy

    A bear named ‘Bhaloo’ or a doll named ‘baby’ can be their first insight into friendship and companionship.

    When they tell you that Bhaloo is hungry or sad, they are learning to express their feelings or be sensitive to the feelings of those around them.

    Communication and expression

    Have you ever seen all the toys lined up and being taught their school lessons? That is probably your little one testing out their communication skills by imitating the adults in their life during play.

    They will tell Bhaloo and Baby to study more or explain numbers to them.

    Toys have sustained through ages because children need them in their lives. Play is the work of childhood and Toys have several roles to play in a child’s life.

    This teacher’s day we remember all our favorite toys which filled our childhoods with fun, excitement, love, and learning.

    Which toy was your favorite? What are the toys in your little one’s lives helping them learn? Share with us in the comments below!

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