Learning toys for toddlers are a great way to introduce your child to letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and other basic concepts. Learning toys for toddlers can help your child develop his or her cognitive functions and fine motor skills. They’re also a great way to help your child explore the world and learn more about how it works.
The best toys for toddlers stimulate their senses, encourage them to learn, and help build their physical and cognitive skills.
When choosing toys for your children, you may be tempted to go for the most popular or the most expensive. However, the most popular toys are not always the best for your child, and the best toys for your child aren’t always the most expensive toys.
Common mistakes when choosing learning toys
Here are some common mistakes parents make when choosing learning toys for toddlers:
- Choose toys for children that are developmentally appropriate. If it’s too advanced, a child may get frustrated and if it’s too basic, the child may lose interest. Children will get bored if you give them toys that are too easy for them. As they get older, they’ll enjoy toys that challenge them.
- According to Dr. Robin Karr-Morse, author of “Talking to Kids About Hard Things,” the most common mistake parents make when choosing learning toys for toddlers is not thinking about what the child wants. Kids of this age are just starting to realize that they have some control over their lives and their parents. There are three key stages of development for a child’s brain: early childhood, middle childhood, and late childhood. Each stage is different and requires a different type of stimulation and toy.
- Another common mistake is giving your child too many toys at once. This will overwhelm them and they won’t have the opportunity to become attached to any one toy, meaning they will lose interest and stop playing with it. You can't just buy any toy for your child, you have to choose the toy that best fits their stage of development. If you were to buy a three-year old a doll, he or she would probably be overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for it.
Choosing the right learning toy
As children get older, they start to become more independent and their attention spans grow longer. That’s why it’s important to keep older children occupied with toys that challenge them to use their imaginations and creativity.
Choosing the right toy for children is very important. It’s not only about choosing age appropriate toys, but also choosing toys that support their development as they grow.
Choosing the right toy for children is very important. It’s not only about choosing age appropriate toys, but also choosing toys that support their development as they grow.
To put it simply, learning toys are great for keeping toddlers busy. If you’re raising a toddler, you’re probably familiar with the phrase “I’m bored. Some parents make think their baby is too young to learn anything. When I ask parents why they’re not using toys to teach their baby, they often say they’re too young for that or they don’t have time. That’s not true. It's important to choose a toy that's appropriate for your child's stage of development. For example, if your child is just beginning to learn how to stack rings on a rod, they're probably not ready for a shape sorter.
Take a look at your toddler’s interests and don’t forget to think through whether learning should be a regular part of his or her day. Most learning should happen as part of the day, but not all learning is meant for hours on end. If a little playtime is good, consider shifting your approach to learning counting, letter recognition, shapes, colors, and using coordination.
After his or her first steps or words, most children can demonstrate basic counting. You can teach your child to count up to 10 children, and most children can learn to count up to 20. However, as their social skills improve, most children can count to 40. All children can learn to identify shapes such as circles and squares. Later, they may develop the ability to understand letter recognition and write their names. It’s not unusual for an 8-year-old child to be able to name 50 objects and books, but it’s not expected for an 8-year-old to be able to name 5,000. Check with your pediatrician if any of these activities are appropriate for your child. The sooner a learning behavior is added to your child’s routine, the sooner it will become part of day-to-day life.
Here you can find our top 10 educational toys: Top 10 Collection
