We are inundated daily with advertisements for new toys—in
magazines, on the television, walking through stores, and scanning the
internet. So many toys look exciting and
promise untold hours of fun and learning, yet not all toys are created equal. So
what makes a toy great?
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| Actively Engaged |
A great toy needs to engage the interest of the child.
If you know the child for whom the toy is
intended, you will usually know their likes and preferences.
Some children like more sedentary activities.
We all know children whose middle name is “Energy”! Some children prefer to
play alone, especially those
birth to three years old.
There are children who love to play with
another child and engage in cooperative play with few squabbles. There are
those who love loud, noisy activities and those who find great enjoyment curled
up with a book in the lap of someone they love.
Whatever the preference, there is a toy out there to thrill your
youngster.
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| Interactive Play |
A great toy should encourage interaction.
Children Love Playing with their Parents or
Primary Care Providers!! Children seek the attention and approval of the
significant adults in their lives.
How
many times have you heard your child say, “Mom,
( or Dad, Grandma, Uncle, Auntie, Grandpa,
Miss Teacher……) Look at me!” Playing games, reading books, and engaging with
toys
builds vocabulary, emotional trust, shared memories, and a stronger
Child-Parent or Child-Adult bond.
It
can’t be over-stated how important playing together builds interpersonal
relationships that are a basis for a lifetime of healthy interactions and
communication.
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| Play Promotes Development |
A great toy should promote development.
Whether cognitive skills are being
challenged or gross motor skills are honed, an activity or toy will be working
on different areas of growth.
Toys should Teach! Playing gives
Little Ones a chance to learn and grow in a fun way.
Children explore their world through play;
they learn spatial relationships, social relationships, mathematical concepts,
perseverance, communication skills, fine motor skills…and the list goes on!
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| Fun AND Challenging |
A great toy should be fun but also a challenge.
If a child immediately masters the skill of
the toy, they often become bored and discontinue play.
If a toy is too difficult for the child, they
often become frustrated and refuse to play with the toy.
Finding a balance can be perplexing at times.
It helps to have an adult interact with the child when exploring a toy for the
first time.
A simple toy can be used in
a way that will challenge and a challenging toy can bring simple enjoyment when
explored together.
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| Imaginative Play |
A great toy should ignite the imagination.
Rather than purchasing toys that get a
response with a simple touch of a button, look for toys that expand a child’s
vision and horizons—building blocks that let them construct skyscrapers to the
heights…crayons and markers that allow them to dream and produce new worlds…games
that challenge them to conquer new skills...
imitate and role play the important people around them.
Any given toy can be used in multiple ways to teach a
variety of skills. We will explore this in upcoming Blogs! We welcome your comments.
Author: Trisha Roberts
www.proeducationaltoys.com
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