Did you know that the yo-yo is said to be one of the oldest toys in the world behind the doll? The yo-yo first appeared about 1000 BC in China and quickly spread across the globe, becoming one of the most well-known children's toys in the process.
It has been shown over and over that children learn best via play. Therefore, this is an important component of their development. However, as with other things in life, not all toys are made the same.
While it is essential to enable children to experiment with various toys whilst playing, it is also crucial to offer them educational toys that are entertaining and helpful to their development.
Young brains are like sponges. They continually absorb and learn about the environment in which they and their peers find themselves. So let's take a look at some of the ways that educational toys can help your youngster learn better.
Before discussing the many advantages children get from playing with educational toys, you may be asking exactly what educational toys are.
You will be thinking surely all toys are good for youngsters? Don't they all stimulate their imaginations and encourage them to move around? Agreed!
However, there are educational toys especially intended for play-based learning. These include puzzles, cubes, clocks, counters & numbers, shapes, science kits, books, and pretty much everything else you'd find in an education centre.
Children will play with toys irrespective of whether they are educational or not. So, it only makes sense to maximize their skills by interacting and playing with educational toys.
If you are a new parent, when it comes to utilizing educational toys as learning aids, you're probably wondering about the kind of advantages your child may get from this learning via play.
Here are some of the top benefits of letting your children play with educational toys.
Developing Fine Motor Skills
Children will naturally improve their fine motor abilities as a result of their play. However, some will learn faster than others. Everyone is different. Some of the best educational toys for motor skill development are:
- Pegboards
- Playdough
- Doll strollers
- Rocking horses
- Balls
- Art supplies
- Bath toys
- Tricycles
- Jungle gyms
- Slides
- Wagons
Some learning toys, like the blocks, stimulate all areas of development. However, toys can never replace you. Instead, you promote your child’s exploration of the world around him.
That is where educational toys factor into play. With the help of educational toys, you may further develop and improve these abilities. Consequently, it will be easier and more efficient for your child to perform actions with their fingers, arms, hands and forearms as a result of this.
Helps with Hand-Eye Coordination
Once your child's fine motor skills have been established, they can begin to work on improving their hand-eye coordination.
Educational toys can enhance and help you with this. For example, your children will need to use both their eyes and hands to link various parts together to solve a puzzle or create a structure out of building blocks.
Consider the difference between the first time your child built a puzzle and the last time they completed one. It's possible that they first struggled to place the puzzle piece in the correct slot, although knowing precisely where it needed to be placed.
Their hand-eye coordination is fine-tuned with continuous play and can now easily glide all the pieces in. That is the strength of learning via play, as shown through educational toys!
Learning to solve problems
Children learn how to problem-solve via the use of educational toys such as puzzles and building blocks. Some problem-solving toys are:
- Nesting or stacking toys
- Shape sorters
- Large-piece puzzles
- Matching games
- Alphabet blocks
- Magnetic letters & tiles
- Lego
- Simple board games
- Dominoes
They learn that if a piece does not fit where it is supposed to, it must be moved or switched to a new place. Again, if a wooden block continues to fall, a different shape or size may be chosen. These are some of the ways how educational toys are used to teach problem-solving skills to children.
Encourage Creativity and Imagination
Today's technology is such an easy "babysitter," and "screen time" is snatching children's preference for toys. That has resulted in a lack of creativity among the younger generation.
When your youngster can colour the whole image with a few taps on a screen, they do not honour their fine motor skills or maximise their creative potential.
It goes without saying that educational applications on electronic devices have their advantages. But, it is equally important to provide your child with educational toys that enable them to use all their senses and creativity. A good example is using a colouring set.
Social Skills and Emotional Development
One aspect of toys that isn't always apparent is that they assist in your child's social and emotional development. Toys such as:
Playing with these toys teach children how to share and cooperate, whether they are playing with you, a friend or in a group. They also contribute to your child's self-esteem by enabling them to do something they were previously unable to achieve.
Diversity and acceptance can also be taught and encouraged through play, with dolls of different nationalities, colours, shapes and sizes thankfully more prominent and accessible now.
By engaging in pretend play, toys also enable your children to explore different roles and scenarios.
Always Be Your Child's Favourite Toy!
Keep in mind that you are your child's first and most important teacher. Educational toys are just a supplement to the overall learning curve.
Your children will look up to you for support and direction as they embark on this amazing learning adventure. Providing your children with the finest, simplest, and most enjoyable educational toys can only improve their whole learning experience.
Educational toys will only encourage children to imagine and be creative since the world is a huge playground full of wonder with limitless space for their imaginations and creativity.
Why not visit our store and choose from a multitude of educational toys available!
