When you give your kid a new toy, no matter the type, there's every possibility you’ll make the child happy. When young children are given toys, they aren't so fussy, be it kids or baby toys. However, parents should be attentive to this detail.
Toys go way beyond mere playthings, and although they should be fun, they should be suitable for the child's age, exciting and safe to use. Playing is an essential aspect of a child's development, emotionally, mentally, physically and socially. When choosing play toys, remember these:
Keep them simple
Getting a toy that's over the top doesn't help your child develop their imaginative abilities. Stuffed animals and dolls that talk-sing or give children instructions to press some buttons assume control over the entire play situation when it ought to the child calling the shots. rnAn overly specific toy limits the child's ability and denies the child of being imaginative. Here, simplicity is best. The simple toys are referred to as the best. Toys like blocks make children creative and trigger spontaneity.
Don't be deceived by toys in the guise of "educational toys"
The new trend in town is the business of educational toys, taking advantage of gullible parents' and their fears in teaching their kids and ensuring they learn as much as they should give them a push for the future. This does not mean that age-appropriate toys are bad; in fact, CDs that give your children exposure to foreign languages or classical music are great. However, many kids' toys or baby toys claim that they can build early brainiacs, readers and great mathematicians, and also improve brain development. However, a study conducted shows that these claims are baseless. Genuine educational toys are not the gizmos and flashy gadgets that are sold everywhere, with empty promises. Instead, they are the basic elements that have built critical thinkers and creative minds for decades.
Limit the use of video games electronic toys
The world is in a digital era, so if parents think they can prevent their kids from having access to the computer and similar gadgets, he or she is joking. Even toddlers can handle gadgets; that's why it's called the electronic age. rnHowever, this does not give room for carelessness. There should be barriers and limits to handling access to electronic devices by young children. rnAccording to research,
electronic toys are suggestive of posing potential threats to children's health and progress, which include excessive weight gain from inactivity during play, hearing loss caused by loud toys and delay in language and development. rnToys should not promote idleness in a child; rather, they should promote a passive style of learning, causing them to learn independence and creativity. Electronics affect a child's ability to pay attention to. rnToys with flashing lights and movements don't need a child being focused on just one thing for a long time. It has been noted that kids who use these toys have difficulty focusing their attention on things like a moving toy or book. rnKids under the age of 2 shouldn't play computer games or watch TV. Also, over two years, kids should have limited screen time to a minimum of 1-2 hours each day.
Select age-appropriate toys
Children love playing with toys they can control and are suitable for their current stage of development. Below are a few suggestions for various toys that will help your kids at various stages of development:
0-6 months: Young children become excited by sounds, movement and visuals in black and white. They are exploring and making discoveries about their bodies, grasping, eye-hand coordination and reaching for things. rnSuitable toys for babies include rattles, mobiles, busy boxes and objects they can reach for, swipe at, grasping, kicking, pulling, shaking, or squeezing.
6-8 months: Older babies are capable of holding small toys. At this age, they are aware of cause and effect and tend to do things repeatedly to master them. They love taking toys from hand to hand and putting them in and out of containers. Older babies use similar toys for infants in advanced ways.
8-18 months: At this age, babies can make decisions on a goal, predict results and take deliberate steps to make things happen. They also experiment with shape, size and space. Suitable toys for this age group include blocks, shape sorters, push/pull toys, rings on poles, nesting cups and take-apart toys.
18-24 months: This group is referred to as toddlers. At this stage, they love to pretend games. At this time, you can introduce toy cars, dress-up dolls, clothing, kitchen sets, trucks and school buses.
rn2-4 years: Kids are advanced, having learnt about socialization during pre-school. They continue to pretend to play. With mini house sets and farms, they can explore their imagination and exercise creativity using finger paints and large crayons.
Children also learn simple and advanced motor skills during this phase; therefore, large legos, blocks, puzzles and construction toys are perfect for this age group. They get excited by noise and love hammer-and-peg, drums and similar toys at this stage.
Are Children's Toys safe?
Ensure that your electric and electronic toys have “UL” approval. This implies that they have undergone safety and quality inspection by the Underwriters Laboratories. Parents are recommended to avoid toys that pose choking hazards to children or have high-powered magnets such as button battery toys.