From an early age, children are continuously learning. It’s not just the big life lessons that are important either, as simple routines and practices are essential to building character and understanding. Growing up in itself is the most prominent lessons anyone can experience, as no two people have the same lifestyles. However, it’s how this path plays out that is critical to the type of grown-up your child will become.
In the early stages of development, toys are a critical feature. They are not purely a tool for enjoyment or distraction, yet a way to help kids learn on a foundation level. Check out some of the top reasons that toys encourage learning and how you can make the most of their use in a positive way.
Developing the senses
Quite often, people can get caught up in choosing toys that offer a distraction for babies that are hard to settle. But, opting for toys that provide a whole sensory experience can work wonders for their curiosity. Babies will be experiencing things for the first time, so playing with toys that make different sounds, have varying textures, plus contrasting colors will spark their interest. These toys will go on to help children recognize various elements of shapes and sounds, and most importantly, help develop their motor skills.
Improve problem-solving skills
As a child grows and develops their fine motor skills, using these aptitudes for more challenging learning areas is a great way to broaden their skills. Ok, so we’re not talking about handing a toddler a Rubix cube, but basic problem-solving style toys are a great idea. You could try them out with a popular childhood game of matching the shapes with the correct holes or giving them colored bricks so they can build a solid structure. These simple tasks help them to think a little harder each time, and eventually get faster and more confident about their choices.
Learning empathy
An excellent way for children to learning about empathy and caring for others is by playing with dolls. Dolls can be for both boys and girls and offer a way to play together with compassion. This toy has been around for years and remains a popular way to educate children on the basics of looking after others. Find out more about the history of dolls at weardoll.com and see how they play an essential roll in a child’s development.
Retaining information
Alongside problem-solving, retaining information is another critical life skill. This comes with time and early years toy helps to build up to more advanced stages of memory function. A great way to introduce children to this life skill is by getting them to complete puzzles. Looking at a picture of what the finished puzzle looks like helps to build the skills to think about what piece goes where without having to look back too much each time. When your child hit school age, they will also be learning numbers and letters. In this case, you can complete spelling and arithmetic games to improve their memory and support school learning.
There are a number of toys available that help to build your child’s fine motor skills and develop their confidence in learning. Alongside traditional toys, electronic gadgets may also help with resources and games, although it is helpful to just use these as an additional resource rather than a complete answer to learning. It’s vital for a child to learn the importance of how the digital age helps us in everyday lives, but it’s great if they can try to learn the basics without the use of immediate answers.