Every child has its unique way to spark up its creativity and imagination. Very often a toddler may pick up a simple spoon or a keychain to play with, while others get immersed into their adventurous imagination with toys. Toys help a child learn a new skill, define themselves as individuals, and get acquainted with others and the world around them. Toys are fun, and they help children boost their cognitive and motor-sensory skills. So, how to choose the best ones? There is no need to dwell about it longer, here is a full list that will get you covered.
1. Opt for versatile toys
Toddlers absolutely adore carrying things around, put things apart and back together just to see how things function. In that process of pulling out, adding on, and building up things, toddlers learn how to enliven their own “world” and help him develop complex problem-solving and logical skills. For instance, bulky unit blocks or wooden shaped objects can be used to mimic a horse or some other animal, or as a car, truck and even a spaceship. Choosing toys like interlocking blocks, cups, floor puzzles, or large pegboard toys will help your child develop the “toys for pretend” play and enrich their visual-motor skills.
2. Go for toys that promote exploration and problem-solving
Just as many toys can be used for a variety of different play, some toys give a child a genuine opportunity to figure something out without the help of a parent. If you were to choose toys that enhance your children’s spatial relations skills, hand-eye coordination, and other fine motor skills, you automatically assist them with understanding how stuff works in real life. Many toys for kids like puzzles, crayons, play-dough, and even soft books and numerous kits will help them become aware of the environment and become more intrigued about the life around them.
3. Seek toys that prosper physical engagement and activity
Children are in constant motion. Use their agility and stamina and let them blow out their energy in a useful manner by playing with toys that encourage your child to be active. Toys like balls of different sizes and shapes, wagons, tricycles, various pull-toys, and some plush toys and walkers like a little shopping cart pusher all enhance physical motion. By playing with these toys, your child will get more stable, coordinated, energized, physically stronger and more self-aware in their little bodies.
4. Choose toys that spark their imagination
As your toddler reaches its third year, his creativity and imagination soar. At this stage, a toddler is able to play play-pretend games and do role-play alone or with other children. In order to enliven their imagination even more and maybe guide their creativity to the right path, look for toys your little one can use as he develops, makes up, and acts out stories. If your kids desire to be a doctor, you would advise him to wear a white coat instead of a black one, and so on. When it comes to toys, choose toys that resemble real-life items like dollhouses, toy food, and plastic plates, doctor kit, beauty parlor kit, dress-up clothes, soft toys, and puppets.
5. Encourage artistic expression
Toys like all kinds of musical instruments, large non-toxic crayons, building kits, play-dough and similar allow your child to get active, creative and show off their artistic side. Any kind of toy that gets your child engaged in the artistic, intellectual and creative manner is going to be extremely effective in the long run.
Playtime is a never-ending process that enhances their cognitive and motor-sensory skills, and toys are to help them gain confidence and competence. Only make sure that every toy that you choose for your toddler is safe.