Considering Educational Baby Toys
We’ve discussed several times on here the importance of educational baby toys, particularly with what counts as an educational toy and what should be avoided. With Baby Einstein in question and baby computers still new, what types of toys should you consider for your child?
For those of you who are new parents (or about to become parents), you might be wondering what is considered an “educational baby toy,” also known as a learning toy. Generally, an educational toy is an object or game that teaches a child a new skill. But, before you start breaking out the multiplication flashcards for the eight-month-old, think about the skill associated with the toy first. You might not even think of such toys as being educational.
A recent press release talks about what educational baby toys do. These developmental or stimulation toys may be as simple as mirror or a set of blocks, but they all do one thing: stimulate your child’s senses. The time between birth and age three is significant for brain development. Children want to explore the world around them and, in the process, acquire new skills – whether they realize it or not. This may range from developing better hearing and touch senses in infancy to confidence, creativity, emotions, coordination, social skills, and language in the toddler and preschool years.
If you’re unsure which toys count as being “educational” and which aren’t, many baby stores have a separate section devoted to educational baby toys. Of course, the skill being targeted differs. For example, baby toys designed to improve an infant’s sight will be designed in black, white, and red, while a toy to help a toddler with coordination may be a set of blocks in a variety of shapes.
While a blog post is too small of space to fully discuss which learning toys are appropriate for each age group, consider the skills a child should be learning at the time, and base your choice for learning toys on this skill set.