How do you choose the best toy and gift for your kids and toddler? Make sure you will get a gift that challenges and nurtures them to think and puts them in touch with their emotional skills. Kids are just explorers who learn by doing. When kids play, it gives them the chance to develop and practice new skills. Toys you get are essential in that they shape their development in more ways than one.
Most people think choosing a toy for kids is easy. Once you walk in a toy store, you get overwhelmed. An assortment of toys has been developed for the kids' market, making it difficult to choose the right one. The question is which one suits your kid and whether the toy will last long. What about engagement, which one will engage your kids for more than two weeks? Below are some potential ideas for choosing the best gifts and toys for kids.
The best idea for choosing a toy for your kid is choosing one that helps them grow.
How to correctly choose the best toys for your kids/toddler
Choose toys used in a variety of ways
Kids love to take apart and put back together things, make sure to get open-ended toys. Make sure your child can play different games with the toy you get them. A good example is getting them chunky plastic interlocking blocks or wooden blocks. Such toys will spark your child's imagination and help them develop logical thinking skills.
Go for toys that will grow your child
Most parents have bought a toy the child plays with for two days and loses interest. Make sure you avoid this by getting toys that are fun at a different developmental stage. Small plastic animals are ideal for a toddler, while older kids will make up stories with them. A good example is plastic toy animals, as well as action figures. You can get toddler-friendly dollhouses, dump trucks, and more.
Have toys that encourage exploration and problem-solving
When kids play with toys, it gives them a chance to practice new skills over and over again. The right way of fostering problem-solving is getting toys that enable kids to figure things on their own. You can get gadgets that help them make get logical thinking skills with a little coaching, of course. Kids will also gain spatial relationship skills, which allow them to understand how things fit together. A good example is getting nesting blocks, puzzles, and shape-sorters.
Look for a toy that will help spark your kid's imagination
When a child reaches age 3, creativity is taking off. The kid can take the role of someone else like a princess. They can imagine a stone being something else, a cake perhaps. Get toys that will help your kids develop imagination as pretend play helps build language and literacy skills. A good example is having dress-up clothing, best Beyblades , pirate ships, and more. Anything that will trigger your child's imagination is a good pick.
Permit your kid to play with toys that look like the real deal
When your kid gets to figure out how objects in the real world work. Kids at this point are also interested in playing with your phone as they want to be you. Getting toys that will mimic real-life materials will help develop spatial relations. An excellent example of such toys includes plastic dishes and foods, toy phones, child-size brooms and brushes, and more.
Seek toys that ensure your child remains active
Toddlers will do or sorts of physical tricks as they are more confident and stronger. Make sure you, as a parent or guardian is an appreciative audience for any achievement made. Get toys that will help your kid to practice current physical skills as well as developing new ones. An excellent example of these toys includes balls of different sizes, three-wheeled scooter. It would help if you also got toys that will make your kid pull a string or make them crawl while using them.
Toss in some reading toys
Toys such as books and magnetic alphabet letters are vital in your child's development. Make sure you give them art supplies such as crayons, finger paints, and markers. These toys will help your kid to develop reading and writing skills. You can get real-life props such as magazines and menus. These toys will help your kid get familiar with letters, print, and text. Kids will start learning the difference at an early stage.
Treat your toddler like an adult with cross-generational play
Get toys designed for adult participation. Make sure you get board games that involve the use of memory. Consider having a family game night when all members play together. The advantage of board games is that they encourage counting, listening, mind, and self-control skills. Such games will nurture language and relationship-building skills. While at this stage, teach your kids to be gracious winners and losers.
Questions you need answers to when it comes to toys
What are the benefits of having toys with light, music, and sound?
Toys come with buttons, levers, music for a reason. These toys are marketed as an aid in developing your child's skills. You should know that the more a toy does, the less your kid will have to do with it. If a toy performs all the work, it will be entertaining than educational. Such toys may become confusing to a toddler learning about cause and effect. Get a toy that makes your child use their minds and bodies. By having such a toy, it enables them to learn more.
Will the toy make the baby smarter?
You should proceed with caution when delving into this question. Most manufacturers will make it look like their toys help kids become smarter. The best learning tools include pillows, plastic bowls, and more. Kids use pillows for climbing, while plastic bowls are used for dumping and filling. The more a child uses their body and mind to solve a problem, the more they learn.
Final thought
Some of the best toys are those that spark your child's imagination. Toys that encourage learning and interaction with the environment are best suited. It would be best if you struck the right balance when it comes to which toy is best for your kid. Above all else, kids and toddlers should enjoy playing with their toys.
