There’s no denying that children love toys. Playing, building, and solving are all a part of having a toy, but so many aren’t aware of so many underlying benefits. Kids typically know what they do and don’t like to play with, but certain toys help children develop so many essential skills in all stages of child development. More than just for fun and games, toys can be an opportunity to learn, engage your little one’s senses and spark creativity and imagination.
Toys for Sensory Development
Babies and toddlers learn so much in those early years. Each colour, shape and texture, taste and sound is a new learning experience. Sensory toys encourage these experiences and improve hand-eye coordination, interactive play and develop problem-solving skills. These types of toys help teach important lessons such as consequence: if I do this, this will happen. Sensory toys will also boost confidence in themselves once they’ve solved or figured out how it works.
Our favourite toys for early development are:
- These Wooden Food Cut Shape Puzzles are great for teaching cutting skills and matching different fruits and veggies.
- We also love our stunning Wooden Pull Car Shape Sorters and Wooden Puzzles Assorted. It helps develop fine and gross motor skills and the wooden blogs are thick and of great quality.
- Our Vtech Baby My First Gift Sets are the perfect all-in-one starter toys for newborns. They include a Soft Hippo Teether, Rattle And Musical Piano, Adorable Animal Characters Engage and Entertainer. Includes 4 Sing-Along Songs and 15 Melodies.
- For bathtime play toys these adorable Baby Bath Net Sets come with 5 pieces. Get fishing and stimulate the senses with a sweet baby bath net and sea animals.
- Our Big Building Blocks come with 48 blocks in a handy multi-box. With multiple sizes and colours, these blocks are large and are amazing for hand-eye coordination and memory.
Toys for Educational Development
When children reach the preschooler and school stages, language and numeracy, cognitive and social skills are at the forefront of learning. There are loads of great educational toys out there and we love all of ours. Educational toys have a whole host of amazing benefits and will help make the school years easier. They give children the opportunity to learn while having fun. Playing games and reading books are always fun activities to do with your child.
Our favourite educational toys are:
- These classic Battle Vessel Strategy Games are the best to develop strategic skills. Battle head-to-head with this game for two players of almost all ages!
- Learn about balance and timing with the Rock Me Archimedes Wooden Educational Game. For two players (8+), carefully rock the board that’s balancing to get your marbles to the end-zone.
- For some science fun, our Cra-Z-Slimy Creations are ooey gooey and loads of fun. Make your own slime and watch the slime change colour in your hands!
- Puzzles are amazing toys for spatial awareness, shape recognition and concentration. We love how rewarding it feels to complete one of those mega-sized ones!
Toys for Physical Development
As children become older and more active, toys that stimulate physical development are essential. Be sure to always be safe and practice safety skills when playing with any of these toys.
Some of our favourite physical development toys are:
- Teach your little one to ride a bicycle easily with our 3-in-1 Training Bike. Push, balance or pedal – the bicycle can be adjusted according to how comfortable your child is on it. Strong, durable and with an adjustable set – it’s easily one of our favourite toys!
- Stilts are such fun and great balancing skill developers.
- We love these strong, thick Plastic Handle Skipping Ropes – they come in a variety of colours and are super easy to grip.
- Learn to kick with these great soft Plastic Soccer Balls which come in an assortment of colours. They’re easy to inflate with a bicycle, ball or tube pump.
No matter what stage of development your child is in, we have a toy that will benefit them in so many ways. Please feel free to take a look at some of the other blogs we have written here!