Educational Toys and Child Development

Children cannot seem to live without toys. For them, toys are synonymous to good times and to having fun. Toys have the ability to engage children's senses and stimulate their imagination. They also help children discover different types of emotions. Some toys are designed specifically to promote interaction with other kids. Toys stimulate physical, mental and social development. They boost self-confidence and self-esteem as well.

Toys

Even the simplest toys help very young children to learn about the world. When they bounce a ball or manipulate a set of colorful rings, they learn not only about the object that they are playing with but about the world as well. Children experience the world directly while they are playing with their toys-moving about, manipulating them with their hands, and figuring out how they work. Toys also help them grow physically, using their muscles and developing them when they build a tower of blocks, ride a bicycle, or climb up the jungle gym.

Toys help children use their imaginations, create, and build new things. For instance, a plain cardboard box becomes a toy train or a little house. Pretend play helps them develop different brain functions and enriches their language and comprehension as well.

Benefits of educational toys

While many toys have incidental educational value, educations toys are special kinds of playthings that do not merely offer happy times, but plenty of opportunities to learn as well. Parents should consider offering their children a few "educational" options when they are growing up. With these toys, children are given the stimulation that their brain and body needs for intellectual, emotional, and physical development. There are toys that teach a specific skill set, while other toys help children learn about a subject. What sets these toys apart from regular toys is that playing with them is associated with development and learning.

It is fortunate for modern parents that there are so many toys to choose from. Toy designers and manufacturers are seeking the advice of specialists in child development in developing toys for all ages and skill levels. Not only are they supplying the demand for age-appropriate educational toys, but they are also making sure that the toys are of such a variety that will keep children entertained. The toys are also made with high-grade materials that are safe, durable and last for a long time.

Babies and young children are eager to learn, especially when they are of the age when they can move about and manipulate objects with their hands. If they are given toys that stimulate his senses and teach him new things, then they learn about foundation skills such as hand-eye coordination, motor skills, balance and body coordination, which improves his capability to explore the world. At the pre-school age, when children start learning about words, letters, and numbers, the concepts can be introduced to them in fun interesting ways using educational toys such as alphabet puzzles. A child that has fun knowing about things that he will later explore in depth in school will nurture a love for learning early on.