Benefits Of Educational Toys For Infants And Toddlers

It is no mystery that babies love to play. It is also no secret that parents love to see their babies playing. However, what may be a secret is just how beneficial playing with suitable toys can be for an infant or toddler. Imagine being able to offer your little one a head start in life, all while they are having a blast of time playing with their new favorite toy. That is the power of educational toys. Let’s explore some of the benefits of these toys for your child based on their age group.

1-12 months old:

According to Jean Piaget’s theory of cognitive development, babies at this age are in the sensorimotor stage. This means that they learn best through their senses and motor skills. Educational toys designed for this age group are usually brightly colored and make noise. They also have different textures to help your baby explore their hands and mouth. These toys, specifically designed for tummy time, can help your baby develop their neck and back muscles. Most importantly, they are entertaining and can help your baby reach important milestones such as sitting up, crawling, and walking.

Examples of educational toys for this age group:

1. Tummy time mat

2. Bumpy ball

3. Rattle

4. Teether

5. Large Stackable rings

13-24 months old:

Still, in the sensorimotor stage, babies at this age are becoming more aware of their surroundings. For example, you might notice your 13-month-old starting to imitate your actions or sounds. Some will even start to use simple words such as “mama” or “dada.” Also, babies become more coordinated during this age, and their fine motor skills improve. They can now pick up little objects with their thumb and index finger. These developments mean that they are ready for more challenging toys. Toys for this age group are geared to help your child with their growing sense of awareness. For example, shape sorters help your child identify and match shapes or colors. Building blocks help with eye-hand coordination, and pretend-to-play toys such as dolls help your child understand emotions and develop social skills.

Examples of educational toys for this age group:

1. Toddler kitchen set

2. Shape sorter

3. Building blocks

4. Puzzles

5. Pretend to play with toys

2 years old and up:

According to Piaget’s theory, as your child reaches preschool age, they will begin to enter the preoperational stage. In other words, they will start to use symbols and language to represent objects. Educational toys for this age group are designed to help your child recognize numeral and shape symbols. If you’re looking for a fabulous educational toy that will help with your child’s language development, look for ones that have songs or phrases. And as always, pretend play toys are still a great option as they help develop social skills.

Examples of educational toys for this age group:

1. Magnetic tiles

2. Lacing beads

3. Nesting cups

4. Stacking blocks

5. Pegboards

There are endless benefits that educational toys can have for your child. Give your child a head start in life by investing in quality educational toys today.