The importance of toys in childhood development cannot be disputed. They do more than just entertain kids during play time. In fact, experts agree that toys are the way by which children discover and explore their surroundings. There are very many types of toys available and you may have a hard time choosing toys for your kids if you do not know what to get them.
There are a few things you need to have in mind when selecting toys for your child. This is because different toys are appropriate for different children depending on their age, gender, personality, and level of physical, and emotional development.
- Age
You should ensure that the toys you buy for your child are appropriate for his/her age. This is because children of different ages have different interests and are different levels of physical and emotional development. If you buy your child a toy that is not appropriate for their age, he/she may end up frustrated by it because, for instance, a puzzle is too difficult to solve or a board game is too confusing of his/her young mind. Therefore, when choosing kids wood toys, make sure you check the age range for which it is appropriate.
You should also replace the toys when your child outgrows them because they become boring as your child grows and develops. As your child grows older, you can ask him/her what they would like so that you get them something that they will definitely love.
- Gender
Buy toys that are appropriate for your child’s gender, especially for children above 5 years. Children below 5 years are less likely to care about whether the toy they are playing with is meant for a girl or a boy. For older kids, you will find that girls prefer dolls and kitchen sets while boys find super hero action figures and cars more appealing.
- Creativity and mental stimulation
As mentioned earlier, toys are not just for distracting your child so that you can do other things in peace. Choose toys that encourage creativity and stimulate your child’s brain in order to help in developing their thinking skills.Choose toys that encourage creativity and stimulate your child’s brain in order to help in developing their thinking skills. Toys such as board games and puzzles are great for this reason. Construction toys also encourage creativity in children.
On the same note, you can buy toys that can be used to make study time fun. For instance, you can get your pre-school child a doll that sings out the alphabet. This will be fun to play with and it will also help him/her learn something.This will be fun to play with and it will also help him/her learn something.
- Safety
Choose toys that are made of non-toxic materials. If your child is allergic to certain materials, do not buy him/her toys that are made of these materials. You should also ensure that the toys you buy do not have any sharp edges that might injure your child unless your child is old enough to know how to handle such toys. The toys should be easy to handle and light in weight so that your child can have an easy time playing with them.
