From the moment a child is born, their education about the world begins. As parents, you bond with them, sing and talk to them, and play with them whenever you can. Siblings and other people who come in contact with your baby also have a role in educating them. When they are talked to or played with, a baby learns something new, which is the first step to their education.
Like human interaction, toys are also a means to educate your child in their early years. They are more than playthings that keep children engaged and entertained. Toys are learning tools, such as the Playmobil Zoo that keeps their senses engaged, boosts their creativity, and develops their social skills as they play with other kids. Toys offer educational benefits to kids from their baby years until they start going to school. Here are those educational benefits.
Babies
Babies are curious, even at such a tender age. They are eager to discover everything they can around them. They want to taste, touch, feel, and enjoy the colours of toys. You will want to provide them with those that are safe for them to play with and stimulate their senses. Toys that produce music and other sounds are a favourite of babies. They also enjoy colourful objects that help in the development of their vision. When they can handle them, colourful blocks are great toys for babies.
Toddlers
Toddlers may still have fun with baby toys, such as blocks that they can now view from a different perspective. They also need toys that are suitable for their age such as shape sorters and Lego blocks. They learn about colours, symmetry, and matching items with one another. These toys allow parents to involve themselves with their child’s play activities. They can teach them shapes and what they are called. The child’s motor skills are developed further with Lego blocks as they learn how to build them into forms using their imagination.
School age
At preschool, a child begins to learn about numbers and letters, the pronunciation of simple words, and develop their language skills. The toys that can help them at this age are alphabet puzzles, blocks, construction sets, playhouses and figures, and so many more. These toys teach them how to build more things and allow them to role-play, which can further enhance their creativity and imagination. Colouring books and crayons, drawing materials, and clay are just some of the other toys that help children develop their talent, creating things that build up their self-esteem. School-age children can learn more with toys at home that are extra learning tools to make education fun. While they play with educational toys, they are allowed to practice everything they learn from school. They retain more because of the enjoyment that accompanies the learning process.
Your child can learn so much from playing with toys. It is also a good chance for you to bond with your child, having fun with them as they learn. When a child discovers how enjoyable it is to learn with toys, they will look forward to going to school and gain even more knowledge that will benefit them as they grow older.