As a parent, walking into a toy store can be overwhelming. These days, you can find a million different toys, which doesn’t help any if you’re trying to figure out what you ought to choose.
We know that parents want the best for their kids, especially if they’re very young and still new to the world. So, we’ve decided to create this guide that will help you select toys that will give your toddler the chances to explore, develop, and practice new skills while they’re playing.
We will be making a list of toys that improve their cognitive, linguistic, motor, and social-emotional skills. That way, you’ll see that it’s possible for your kid to learn and play at the same time!
1- Find toys that can be used in different ways.
The best toy creators focus on making toys that can be used in a variety of ways. Children who interact with a toy in more than one way means that they will develop more skills more efficiently.
Toys like these are important because they help improve your kids’ ability to imagine more possibilities associated with a single object. They will have to figure out the different ways in which they can play with just that one toy.
2- Use problem-solving toys.
Problem-solving toys, like puzzles or memory games, help your children figure something out with your guidance or on their own if they want to challenge themselves!
It’s important for a child to develop the logical abilities they’ll need for the rest of their lives. Logic gives them the ability to solve any kind of situation, as well as give them the chance to study the relationship two or more things can have with each other.
3- Choose toys that improve their imagination.
Your kid’s imagination is endless! So take advantage of this stage of their young lives and help them improve this skill. You can achieve that very goal through roleplaying. Give them costumes to try on, or play dress-up with them, and see how their imagination carries them to a whole new world.
Take into consideration that this type of game doesn’t improve just their imagination or creativity by taking on different characters and situations. Pretending also promotes language skills and the ability to tie sequential events together by giving the story a narrative, or a logical order.
4- Look for toys that make your toddler active.
Toys that influence your children to get more physical in their activities will help them become stronger and more coordinated.
Materials associated with sports, such as soccer balls and goalposts, will help them develop motor skills that will make them want to have a healthier, more active lifestyle.
5- Always go for low tech toys.
The best toys are the simple ones. Sure, companies have developed apps to foster the development of skills through technology, but kids will always enjoy more a traditional toy – something they can hold and really do something with.
We saved this tip for last because we’ve noticed that traditional toys are the ones that have the greatest ability to have most, if not all of the other qualities we’ve mentioned, built within them. Something as tried and tested as a playset can have multiple uses such as role-playing or problem-solving, allowing your child to make the most out of a single toy. A variety of traditional toys, therefore, can bring your child’s development to new heights!