Child Educational Toys Make Learning FUN!

With so much emphasis on child development these days, it seems the focus on education starts as soon as the baby comes home from the hospital!  Okay, maybe not that quick but it is true that baby developmental toys have become very popular gifts for infants and new babies.  While these newborns won’t be engaged with toys for a few months, it won’t be long before they begin to notice the bright colors and start reaching for those toys and shapes that look interesting.

And it certainly doesn’t stop there.  Toddlers and young children experience amazing developmental growth in knowledge, problem-solving, and comprehension when they are exposed to educational toys.  But remember, the key for any developmental toy or game is the fun factor.  Learning should be fun – especially for young children!

Think about the different ways learning tools can help children develop:

• Their movements and coordination start to develop and become more refined during a child’s first year of life.  These motor skills become more advanced as they get older allowing them to use their bodies more during play time.   Developmental toys that involve pulling, building, stacking, and even throwing are very helpful in developing these motor skills.  (Shop for Baby & Toddler Toys, plus  Wooden Toys including blocks and stacking toys, push and pull toys, and puzzles.)
• Even though it is present from birth, relationship building becomes even more important as children get older.  They learn how to create and hold on to lots of different relationships beyond their own family unit.   In addition, learning to make decisions (like the difference between right and wrong) plus playing fairly with others can be helped by learning group games or playing with puppets, stuffed animals, dolls, or even toy instruments.   (Shop for Games and Pretend Toys, Puppets, Dollhouses & Castles, Trains & Vehicles, and even BIG Stuffed Animals!)
• Many different play activities and educational toys help children learn and strengthen their mental activities, including problem solving, cause and effect, concept development, recognition, comprehension, creativity and memory.  Games, puzzles, books, and toys with different pieces that need to work together or require a process to achieve a desired result are very beneficial in developing positive mental abilities.  (Shop for Games, Puzzles, and Magic toys.)

Here are a few ideas for selecting appropriate educational toys for your special child:

For younger children and babies, developing movement, coordination, and stimulating the senses are important.  So pay close attention to that educational baby toy that has bright colors, is soft to the touch, has interesting sights and sounds, or includes anything that small little fingers can curve around and pick up!  Six to eighteen month old babies need that tactile stimulation and they need help with hand/eye coordination.   Although you may grow weary of squeaks and jingles, your little one will love them!

Wooden pull toys, blocks, and puzzles are wonderful learning tools for toddlers.  First puzzles are usually made of wood – with big, colorful pieces, and sturdy knobs big enough for little hands to grasp and put in just the right place on the puzzle board.  Some puzzles even play music!  You won’t have any problem finding a puzzle theme to fit your child’s interests … from farm animals to fish, tools to trucks, and pets to princesses!

Preschoolers and older children engage in more active play and they  LOVE to play pretend!  Dress up clothes, puppets, dolls and dollhouses, trains, vehicle sets, and toy musical instruments help your child enter the wonderful world of make believe – sure to inspire creativity while having fun learning and growing their knowledge and confidence.

Of course, it’s well known that reading to children enhances their interest in books, expands their vocabulary, and can help them start reading on their own.  Reading is the foundation of all learning and introduces children to the vast world in which they live.

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