When questioned recently for a study, most new parents did not know about the importance of baby and toddler toys in their child’s life. This, to scientists, was hard to believe as most growth and development seen in children in their primitive years is through toys.
Not just science, but early-age handmaids and nannies have proved that baby and toddler toys play a vital role in the child’s development.
We have listed down for you the top five reasons why baby and toddler toys prove to be important in your child’s growth.
Learning while playing
The most common reason why you should get your baby or toddler toys is that babies can easily start learning while playing. Kids learn a lot when they are in this age bracket and playing can be used as an apt manner to introduce them to newer and slightly complicated concepts.
For example, babies’ and toddlers’ toys also come in varied sets, like doctor’s office sets, kitchen sets etc. These are mainly deemed fit for toddlers as they won’t swallow the small items. Toy sets like these can help your baby learn as they play.
Improving physical skills
Imagine playing catch with your toddler or go-fetch with your baby. Small makeshift games like these, that involve simple toys, help improve your child’s physical skills. These will also help your child identify different shapes and colors of the toys and they learn how to pick up or grasp and easily hold such items.
Some baby and toddler toys help improve the physical reflexes of your child. These can easily be purchased in the market or on a website online. Scenarios where your child has to tap a button, for example, when it lights up or close a window when a face shows up — all help in improving the physical activity of the child. Think of it as a simple bodily workout for your kid.
Intellectual growth
With so many aspects of your child’s body improving, you have no control of the intellectual growth. But through simple acts and baby and toddler toys, you can give your child the chance to grow intellectually as well.
This is certain because when your child applies his or her brain to solve a small problem or enable a certain action to happen with a toy, the left logical side of the brain also plays in. Hence, you can see that portion also growing.
Learning to share
It is a common practice these days to set up playdates for babies and toddlers. Through these playdates, your children learn to share while playing.
The play between children can be of two types, structured and unstructured. The structured kind is when you give your children specific baby and toddler toys, in order to see if they understand or figure out what to do with it. On the other hand, the unstructured or free play is when you let your children’s creative juices flow. You have no control over how they work or make their way through things. Although you have some guidance being given over structured play dates, unstructured play dates also help in the child’s growth.
Improving cognitive growth
By introducing your child to new baby and toddler toys, you are helping them grow physically, socially, and mentally. You are enabling the improvement of your child’s cognitive growth.
When given a new toy, a child will wonder what happens when he squeezes it. How it feels when he touches it. What kind of sound it makes when it hits the ground. All these and more aspects and thoughts will help your child understand the world around him better.
Finally, the most important reason for baby and toddler toys to make it to your buy list is the fact that your child will have fun with them.