One of the things that children like the most are toys. It is not exaggerating to say that it is a form of communication and socialization when children play with their toys. Not to mention how playing with these toys helps them in developing these skills integrated with other skills much needed for their future. Giving a child the correct type of toy at the right time of their upbringing will shape their behavior and mind.
There are various types of toys for your child on the market but choosing the right one is what matters. Especially for the development of your child’s brain, the correct toy is essential. Therefore, selecting the correct early childhood development toys can benefit your child in more than one way. Having more information about what you can provide your child with for better nurturing is never wrong.
An early childhood development toy can help the child in nurturing skills such as communication, social, cognitive, physical, and more. There are so many games out there that have labels on them to distinguish the age groups for children’s toys. Toys are essential for children; not always leaving your child between other groups of children can help them in opening up to people. Many times even parents are unwilling to provide that child with a toy just because they see a toy as a form of entertainment.
What To Keep In Mind While Buying Toys?
While buying a toy for a child, various factors, such as their age, understanding, purpose, and outcome, come into play. Not all toys that you pick when created have the same purpose. Every toy you pick up in the store will not do the same thing as the others. Toys which are supposed to stimulate creative thinking would be different from toys that would stimulate social responses.
Below are a few points to remember while buying toys for your child.
Active Participation
A toy that encourages your child to participate in physical or mental activities is one of the best for your child. These can include games that your child can use for more than one purpose. There are various types of such games, for example, building blocks, drawing, water, stuffed animals, dress-up dolls and more. With the help of such toys, the child will not only be able to play as intended but can even use their imagination to play differently.
Safety
As much as children like toys, they also like to put things in their mouths; buying games or dolls which do not have many small pieces can be beneficial in avoiding dangerous situations.
Age Recommended
When parents go out to buy a toy for their children and get lost on what to buy for them, they are sometimes not careful in choosing the correct type of toy. A toy with the age recommendation of 3 to 6 years which stimulates the brain, is not the same as a teddy. Your child might be comfortable with a teddy, but having a puzzle all to themselves can be challenging for them.
Physical Activity
Children have a lot of energy and thus cannot stay in one place for long. Giving them a toy that the child can use inside the house and outside encourages them to participate physically, helps deal with extra energy, and motivates them for sports participation. These can be objects such as balls, small tricycles, small bowling sets, small basketball hoops, small pulling toys, and so on.
5 Early Childhood Development Toys
At the stage of early childhood development, children have more physical energy as well as curiosity about the world. At such a time, you need to make the best of this opportunity to incorporate cognitive skills naturally. Toys that encourage the child to move more and think more is the best for them.
Below are five toys that are the best for early childhood development. These toys would ensure that more senses of a child would be stimulated and encourage them to incorporate various skills from an early age.
1. Tricycle
A tricycle is a toy that will make the most out of their physical energy. To move a tricycle in a particular direction, children would have to use their feet to move the tricycle and their hands to change the direction. It is a very basic yet one of the best toys for their age to smoothen their leg and hand coordination.
2. Puzzles
Puzzles stimulate the child’s curiosity and encourage them to complete the puzzle to reach the final result. They use their brains to put all the pieces together in different ways to achieve what they want. Numbered puzzles are an excellent way to start children for the very first time.
3. Building Block
There are various kinds of blocks available in the market. Magnetic, wooden, and plastic are the most common. Not only can the child use them to form shapes but various figures as well. They are very simple yet one of the best games to stimulate creative thinking to create multiple things from a group of blocks.
4. Bowling Set
A bowling set might look like a toy for entertainment, but it can encourage the child to aim better. There are not many toys that can stimulate the brain, eye, and hand coordination like a bowling set. An arrow or bow may come to mind, but considering the age of children, they are not the safest option. It is a mix of physical activity as well as mental activity, but you don’t need to go outside for the same.
5. Basketball Hoop
For children in their early development stage, a basketball is very heavy. At the same time, a basketball hoop would help them coordinate their hands, eyes, legs, and brain. It is one of the simplest toys that their child can use inside and outside to stimulate the whole body and improve coordination. The child can use any ball they like that would fit in the hoop.