Toys are not mere playthings, but they are developmental learning tools.
Yes, toys should be fun, but they should also be age-appropriate, educational, and safe. However, it's not an easy task to choose toys, especially for kids in the 0-5 years age group. But worry not parents, here is a guide to choosing the right toy for your toddlers-
0-12 months
The first year of life is all about exploration. So toys for this age group should mostly be colourful, soft, safe to put in the mouth, and musical. Unbreakable mirrors fascinate babies as they observe their changing expressions, soft washable smiling faces are easy to grab and squeeze, colourful rattles are an all-time favourite. However, too many toys can distract infants from exploring their surroundings. It is advisable to let infants use their five senses to understand the new world around them.
1-2 years
At this age, kids start to understand the functioning of objects around them. They also learn to differentiate colours and shapes; this is also the time to develop their motor skills. So choose toys that are bright, colourful, and easy to hold. Softballs help in developing hand-eye coordination, stacking rings help in developing motor skills, also push and pull toys, shape sorters; clay dough is some of the most useful toys for this age group.
2-3 years
A child's play becomes more purposeful by this age. Mostly by this age, kids develop the fine motor skills needed to complete a puzzle or build blocks on their own. Building a tower or any structure with blocks encourages problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. Jigsaw puzzles help develop coordination, dexterity, and logical thinking. At this age, kids also start imitating people around them, so role-playing games such as doctor sets, tea-party sets, toy kitchen, toy phones are very helpful.
4-5 years
There's a tremendous development in learning ability at this age, and it's the perfect time to introduce interactive educational toys that teach math and verbal skills, such as phonics boards or mini computers. This is also the time to let children express themselves in creative ways, so art & craft supplies DIY sets can be very encouraging. Bicycles with training wheels, soccer balls, basketball sets, and small badminton sets help develop them physically.
Finally, one crucial thing that we must remember is that the use of electronic toys should be very limited as the more children use their minds and bodies to make something work, the more they learn.
