How To Choose The Best Toys For Children?
Choosing the best toy for your children is no game. As we all know, the range of toys in any store is large and varied.
In addition, the right toys can offer important benefits to children. It is difficult for the children themselves to decide which toy is most appropriate.
So which toys are best suited for each age group? And what should you consider when choosing?
When children play, their mind and body work together. Children learn about themselves and about others when they play. Every new toy or game is a new challenge, or a test to be overcome. The right toy provides clear benefits: Auditory visual perception, coordination, body position and so on.
Therefore, toys stimulate intellectual, motor, emotional and social development at different stages of children’s growth. It is important to understand that the development of play is gradual and continuous, so that each phase is based on the results of the previous one.
Security and development
Toys contribute to a balanced physical, mental and social development of children. Playing is a form of learning as the little ones live out their emotional state and put the social roles into practice that they will perform as adults.
It is therefore important to set aside a place for your child to play. Provide the best toys to stimulate their senses and enrich their world from an early age.
Another important factor to consider is safety. In this sense, certain age groups may risk doing harm to themselves with certain types of toys. Although most toys are unlikely to cause serious injury, the most severe cases of inappropriate toys can cause death or permanent injury.
It may sound a little over dramatic, but the wrong toy can cause scratches, falls, fire, suffocation, strangulation or poisoning. As a result, parents should choose the right toy carefully for their children, which will help develop their abilities safely.
5 tips for choosing the best toy
- Toys should be suitable for your child’s age and should promote the development of different skills and attitudes.
- Toys must be safe. It should be made of material that does not shatter, break or tear. Keep an eye out for solid colors and non-toxic materials. The younger your child is, the bigger the toy and their toy pieces should be.
- Keep toys simple. In this way, your child can invent different uses for each toy, develop their imagination and understanding of symbols.
- Toys should complement their personality. For example, if your child is introverted, try toys and games that encourage them to socialize, such as multiplayer games. For hyperactive children, the right toys can help develop their ability to concentrate, artistic ability and more.
- Remember that too many toys can stifle the imagination and even lead to boredom.
The right toy for any age group
- From 0 to 6 months: Babies need eye-catching toys to help them discover their own body and distinguish textures, shapes and colors. Suitable toys include rattles, mobiles, dolls, thick toys, plush toys, activity mats, etc.
- From 7 to 12 months: The baby now begins to explore objects and recognize voices. In addition to selecting objects with different textures and colors, you can also incorporate sound and colored lights. You will find balls, rag dolls, musical toys and more.
- From 13 to 18 months: At this age, children walk and can recognize the properties of objects. Bricks for stacking and building, tricycles and cars are ideal for this age group.
- From 19 to 24 months : The little ones can speak and understand, and begin to understand the world around them. Cars, white or blackboards, paint, musical instruments, dolls, animals and string toys are ideal. These toys should be colorful and easy to handle, such as shape-matching toys and large building blocks.
- From 2 to 3 years: At this stage of development, children begin to be curious about names and imitate family scenes. Tricycles, balls, buckets and spades, puzzles, paint, phones, cars and dolls are among the best toys of this age. Other options include plush and moving dolls, disguises and large, simple puzzles made of foam and other materials.
- From 4 to 5 years: At this age, children are curious and love to learn songs and interact with their peers. Look for bicycles, white or blackboards, toy tools or construction toys with large pieces, toy microphones, stories, puppets and articulating dolls, modeling wax, etc.
- From 6 to 8 years: At present, children know how to add and subtract, read and write. You can give them skates, remote controlled cars, games with quizzes and experiments, articulating dolls and dollhouses, kitchen utensils and much more. At this age, you should also consider toys with rules to follow, such as memory games, board games, cards, large books with colorful illustrations and so on.
- From 9 to 11 years: At this age, children become interested in more complex activities. They will enjoy sports equipment, games with strategy and reflection, audiovisual or electronic games and experiments. Magazines, sketchbooks, train sets, car tracks, modeling sets, board games and more that can help strengthen their intelligence.
