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Choose educational toys

How do you make sure the educational toy you buy is right for your child? As in everything, with children there are no guarantees. There are a couple of things to keep in mind when selecting children’s educational toys that can improve the chances that your choice will be well received. First, assess the developmental stage your child is in. Select educational toys that target the skills and abilities for that stage. An educational toy that is too advanced may cause frustration, and one that is too simple will not be challenging enough to merit attention. Below is a general guide on what types of children’s educational toys are best suited for the developmental stages from newborn to 3 years old. This is only meant as a guide to start thinking in the right direction. Use these guidelines and your knowledge of your child’s interests to help you shop for educational toys.

Newborn to 3 months: Babies can’t do much at this stage, but their senses are eager to be stimulated. Educational toys for children with high-contrast patterns and bright colors will capture the attention of little ones. Babies can see color from birth but have difficulty distinguishing between similar shades. Educational toys designed with bright, distinct colors such as red, green, black, and white help babies differentiate shapes and patterns. Babies spend a lot of time on their backs and sides at this age, so colorful mobiles that play music are a great choice for an educational toy. Babies are fascinated by their reflection in safety mirrors. They are not able to recognize themselves but the activity is a great visual stimulation. Baby gyms are great educational toys because of the variety of stimulation they offer. Baby gyms have bright colors, a variety of accessories with different shapes, textures and sounds. Most gyms now play music and also have lights. These educational toy gyms require baby to throw, kick or hit something to trigger stimulation that helps develop motor skills.

Suggested toys for this age: Galt Paynest and Gym, Busy Bear Mirror, 2 in 1 Smart Gym, Farm Friends Mobile, Jumbo Gym and Farm Linkies.

3 to 6 Months: During this stage, your baby will gain better head control and have better arm and leg movement. They usually grab onto anything they can get their hands on and bring it right into their mouths. Educational toys like rattles promote motor development and provide sensory stimulation. Since everything ends up in the mouth, educational toys that are chewy or soft plush are favorites. Babies need to experience different textures, so vary the materials that educational toys are made from. Activity centers provide a lot of stimulation at this age. These educational toys typically have many buttons that produce sounds, lights, and provide a variety of textures to explore. Hand-eye coordination will improve as babies explore the activity center. Parents are often more on the go with babies at this age. Activity bars that fit a stroller, car seat or bouncy chair with dangling, squeaky toys and mirrors keep baby stimulated while she’s on the go. Motor skills develop as baby reaches for, hits, pulls and kicks the accessories on these educational toys.

Suggested toys for this age: Tummy Play Trainer, Curiosity Cube, Toe Time Infant Car Toy, Musical Arch ‘N Play, Jungle Pals Arch Stroller.

6 to 12 months: Your baby has much better control over the movement of his arms and legs. Between 9 and 10 months, your baby should be able to move in some way, whether it’s pulling, crawling, or creeping. By 12 months they should be able to stand on their own and many will even begin to walk. Educational toys that include wooden blocks that your baby can stack and knock over, throw, or bang to make noise are good choices. At 12 months, the educational wooden blocks can be used for early building games to promote motor skill development, cause and effect, sensory and visual stimulation. Educational toys like the Edushape Sensory Ball, provide great stimulation with different textures. Once babies learn to sit up, they will enjoy rolling a ball and trying to catch it while you roll it back. Letting your baby chase the ball will encourage movement. Trying to figure out why a square block doesn’t fit through a round opening will help develop problem-solving skills, though it may cause some frustration at first. By the time your baby is 12 months old, she will begin to enjoy stacking activities, although she will need help getting the order right. Now there will be more interest in the books. Try to buy books that have pages with different textures and simple flaps. This will help develop her sense of touch.

Suggested toys for this age: Frog in the Box, Activity Cube, Farm Friends Stacker, Soft Books, Hug a Bug, Textured Blocks.

1 to 2 years: With each step, your baby becomes more independent and secure. Little ones this age spend every hour of the day exploring and experimenting. For those who still walk a bit unsteadily, educational toys that promote mobility, like a walker or push cart, are great options. Wheelbarrows and carts are a great way for children to carry things, another favorite activity at this age. Educational toys, including stuffed animals and dolls, remain favorites at this age. Children often become very attached to one or two and use them in creative play. Young children can find many ways to make loud sounds. Musical instruments like drums, maracas, and tambourines are educational toys that will help them learn to appreciate music while making noise. Insert puzzles require young children to pick up the pieces and find the correct places to put them back. These early puzzles improve problem-solving skills and fine-tune motor skills. Puzzles are educational toys that your children will play with again and again.

Suggested toys for this age: 4 in 1 Walker, Galt Wooden Walker, Little Hands Marching Band, Mini Edublocks, First Blocks, Baby Puzzles, Wooden Shaped Puzzles, First Puzzles.

2 to 3 years: Your child’s motor skills are now well developed. They can run, jump and climb. The area of ​​explosive development at this stage is speech and language. Imaginative play becomes the focus for this age group. Educational toys that children use as props in pretend play help develop language and communication skills. Great educational toy options for this age include character toys, puppets, dolls, toy vehicles, and animal figures. These educational toys encourage creativity and imagination by allowing your child to create wonderful adventures, model adult behavior and role-play. Large piece puzzles are great educational toys for this age. Children at this age should be able to complete a 4-6 piece puzzle on their own. Jigsaw puzzles are a great activity for developing hand-eye coordination, problem solving, and fine motor skills.

Suggested toys for this age: Table and chairs, Wooden stacking train, Airport blocks, Maggie’s friends, Puzzles with shapes, Puzzles to play and learn.