Does your child have a toy that you need to carry with you everywhere? From the grandparents' home to vacations overseas, some toys travel the world with their little humans.
While most care givers would be happy so long some toys keep their little ones engaged, educational toys for kids in fact do much more than keep children entertained. Toys have a very special place in a child's life and their growth and development. There is a wealth of research that supports this.
Educational toys for your kids can influence their development at least in three different ways. They enhance skill development, social development and imagination and creativity.
Every child wants a desired result from a toy. To begin with, toys provide tactile, visual and aural stimulation to children. Young children for instance wants rattles to make a sound when they handle them. In trying to elicit the desired response every child develops skills.
Hand eye coordination through shaking a rattle for instance is an example of skill development in very young children. The ability to hold a ball or roll it on the ground might seem extremely easy to us, but for a child, it is practice with toys that helps them develop gross motor and fine motor skills that build this skill.In this context, choosing the best educational toys for kids is not a casual activity.
Sharing a beloved toy or getting a toy from another child teaches them social skills. They learn to negotiate and navigate through groups and teams. They understand the value of shared resources. Waiting for their own turn to play with a popular toy teaches children patience for instance.
Children often seem to imitate each other, toys also help their imaginations soar. Watch a child play with his car and make his own sound effects as he pushes it along and you will be seeing the power of imagination. Kids often pretend play with toys. Playing teacher or doctor with toys and playmates is preparing for the real world adult roles, for instance. Pretend play with toys often helps children ready themselves for real life and problem solving.
Choosing the right toys is an important task. Very young children will respond to bright colours, tactile experiences and sounds. Toys that provide these stimuli are important part of their young lives and learning. Hand a crying child a favourite toy and barring illness, they will most likely stop crying.
It is also important to let kids learn at their own pace with educational toys. Buttons, gizmos and gadgets may prove more distracting than engaging. Choose age appropriate toys. Choose toys that are made from natural materials and child safe ingredients. Play is the work of childhood and toys are the tools that help make play more interesting.
So what are you waiting for? Get those favourite educational toys for your kids. Bond with your little ones even as you help them build life skills!
