Why Educational Toys Are Important to a Child’s Development?

Why Educational Toys Are Important to a Child’s Development?

Research shows that learning through play is an important part of a child’s development. Though ensuring your child has enough play time is a great benefit to families to allow their children to release some extra energy, a child begins to find out who they are through play, even during infancy. Even early in development, a child’s mind is expanding just by looking at their environment and taking in their surroundings.

The use of educational toys can help children learn many different skills they will need in their life. Educational toys can help develop problem solving skills, teach about conflict resolution and how cause and effect work. It also teaches children about sharing, helps develop their fine and gross motor skills and nurtures their creativity and imagination.

Children can start benefiting from educational toys as early as one month old. Here are some great ideas for educational toys based on age range and an explanation of their benefits.

1-12 months old: At an early age, sensory play helps stimulate your child’s senses. As your child continues to grow and develops hand-eye coordination, families can begin introducing toys that encourage more interaction. As your child becomes more active, we suggest introducing problem solving toys. These toys will help children work through conflicts and become familiar with cause and effect such as “If I do this than that will happen”. They will also build up their confidence once they’ve been able to figure out how a toy works after trial and error and guidance. Other great toys to introduce would be ones that promote movement.

Some examples of great toys for your baby’s first year include:

  • Mobiles
  • Soothers
  • Infant play
  • Small portable toys with lights and sounds
  • Stackers or blocks
  • Crawl around learning centers
  • Light up dance mats with sound

12-24 months old: As your child reaches the one-year mark or older, they will soon become very mobile. Introducing the right toys to them will help to teach balance and coordination and will increase your child’s curiosity with their new-found mobility. As your child begins to learn to walk, you can also incorporate learning numbers by counting their steps which will help them become more familiar with the terms and meaning even if they do not quite understand at this age.

Themed playsets are great educational toys to introduce between the ages of 12-18 months because they will help develop your child’s recognition skills. For example, if you have a theme playset that involves animals, practice what sound each animal makes. This will also help with language development by reinforcing the names of colors and shapes.

Examples of toys that will help your child reach new milestones between 1 and 2 years old include:

  • Push cars
  • Stride and ride toys
  • Walkers
  • Themed toys
  • Themed books

2+ years: As your children become a bit older and more active, you can also introduce toys that promote more physical play. When showing them how to use certain toys, such as a tricycle, always make sure they are aware of safety concerns such as wearing a helmet and incorporate in the process of using the toy, so they know that if they ride their tricycle, they must have their helmet on as well.

This is also a great age to introduce toys that incorporate cognitive skill building. There are many different toys that can help children practice writing – whether they are drawing or writing their names – and their small motor skills. Games and books can also help your child develop name recognition and emergent literacy skills. These types of toys will show your child a visual version of what they are hearing and vice versa. For example, the repetition of reading a book about a dog and seeing a picture of a dog will allow your child to begin to associate a picture of a dog with the sound a dog makes. Reading books that have color pictures and a few words on each page with your child will begin to familiarize them with how words they hear look on the pages.

Examples of toys that will help promote physical play and cognitive skill building include:

  • Tricycles
  • Basketball hoops
  • T-ball stands
  • Bowling sets
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TOYS AFFECT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

Good Toys for Young Children by Age and Stage

In addition to being safe (see Safety and children’s toys below), good toys for young children need to match their stages of development and emerging abilities. Many safe and appropriate play materials are free items typically found at home. Cardboard boxes, plastic bowls and lids, collections of plastic bottle caps, and other “treasures” can be used in more than one way by children of different ages. As you read the following lists of suggested toys for children of different ages, keep in mind that each child develops at an individual pace. Items on one list as long as they are safe can be good choices for children who are younger and older than the suggested age range.

Toys for young infants—birth through 6 months

Babies like to look at people following them with their eyes. Typically, they prefer faces and bright colors. Babies can reach, be fascinated with what their hands and feet can do, lift their heads, turn their heads toward sounds, put things in their mouths, and much more!

Good toys for young infants:

  • Things they can reach for, hold, suck on, shake, make noise with—rattles, large rings, squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls, and vinyl and board books
  • Things to listen to—books with nursery rhymes and poems, and recordings of lullabies and simple songs
  • Things to look at—pictures of faces hung so baby can see them and unbreakable mirrors.

Toys for older infants—7 to 12 months

Older babies are movers—typically they go from rolling over and sitting, to scooting, bouncing, creeping, pulling themselves up, and standing. They understand their own names and other common words, can identify body parts, find hidden objects, and put things in and out of containers.

Good toys for older infants:

  • Things to play pretend with—baby dolls, puppets, plastic and wood vehicles with wheels, and water toys
  • Things to drop and take out—plastic bowls, large beads, balls, and nesting toys
  • Things to build with—large soft blocks and wooden cubes
  • Things to use their large muscles with—large balls, push and pull toys, and low, soft things to crawl over

Toys for 1-year-olds

One-year-olds are on the go! Typically they can walk steadily and even climb stairs. They enjoy stories, say their first words, and can play next to other children (but not yet with!). They like to experiment—but need adults to keep them safe.

Good toys for 1-year-olds:

  • Board books with simple illustrations or photographs of real objects

  • Recordings with songs, rhymes, simple stories, and pictures
  • Things to create with—wide non-toxic, washable markers, crayons, and large paper
  • Things to pretend with—toy phones, dolls and doll beds, baby carriages and strollers, dress-up accessories (scarves, purses), puppets, stuffed toys, plastic animals, and plastic and wood “realistic” vehicles
  • Things to build with—cardboard and wood blocks (can be smaller than those used by infants—2 to 4 inches)

  • Things for using their large and small muscles—puzzles, large pegboards, toys with parts that do things (dials, switches, knobs, lids), and large and small balls

Toys for 2-year-olds (toddlers)

Toddlers are rapidly learning language and have some sense of danger. Nevertheless they do a lot of physical “testing”: jumping from heights, climbing, hanging by their arms, rolling, and rough-and-tumble play. They have good control of their hands and fingers and like to do things with small objects.

Good toys for 2-year-olds:

  • Things for solving problems—wood puzzles (with 4 to 12 pieces), blocks that snap together, objects to sort (by size, shape, color, smell), and things with hooks,

    buttons, buckles, and snaps

  • Things for pretending and building—blocks, smaller (and sturdy) transportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture (kitchen sets, chairs, play food), dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water play toys
  • Things to create with—large non-toxic, washable crayons and markers, large paintbrushes and finger paint, large paper for drawing and painting, colored construction paper, toddler-sized scissors with blunt tips, chalkboard and large chalk, and rhythm instruments
  • Picture books with more details than books for younger children
  • CD and DVD players with a variety of music (of course, phonograph players and cassette recorders work too!)

  • Things for using their large and small muscles—large and small balls for kicking and throwing, ride-on equipment (but probably not tricycles until children are 3), tunnels, low climbers with soft material underneath, and pounding and hammering toys

Toys for 3- to 6-year-olds (preschoolers and kindergarteners)

Preschoolers and kindergartners have longer attention spans than toddlers. Typically they talk a lot and ask a lot of questions. They like to experiment with things and with their still-emerging physical skills. They like to play with friends—and don’t like to lose! They can take turns—and sharing one toy by two or more children is often possible for older preschoolers and kindergarteners.

Good toys for 3- to 6-year-olds:

  • Things for solving problems—puzzles (with 12 to 20+ pieces), blocks that snap together, collections and other smaller objects to sort by length, width, height,  shape, color, smell, quantity, and other features—collections of plastic bottle caps, plastic bowls and lids, keys, shells, counting bears, small colored blocks
  • Things for pretending and building—many blocks for building complex structures, transportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture (“apartment” sets, play food), dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets and simple puppet theaters, and sand and water play toys
  • Things to create with—large and small crayons and markers, large and small paintbrushes and finger paint, large and small paper for drawing and painting, colored construction paper, preschooler-sized scissors, chalkboard and large and small chalk, modeling clay and playdough, modeling tools, paste, paper and cloth  scraps for collage, and instruments—rhythm instruments and keyboards, xylophones, maracas, and tambourines
  • Picture books with even more words and more detailed pictures than toddler books
  • CD and DVD players with a variety of music (of course, phonograph players and cassette recorders work too!)
  • Things for using their large and small muscles—large and small balls for kicking and throwing/catching, ride-on equipment including tricycles, tunnels, taller  climbers with soft material underneath, wagons and wheelbarrows, plastic bats and balls, plastic bowling pins, targets and things to throw at them, and a  workbench with a vise, hammer, nails, and saw
  • If a child has access to a computer: programs that are interactive (the child can do something) and that children can understand (the software uses graphics and  spoken instruction, not just print), children can control the software’s pace and path, and children have opportunities to explore a variety of concepts on several  levels
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TOYS AFFECT ON CHILD DEVELOPMENT

How Toys Affect on Child Development

One thing all children have in common is the love of toys. If you’ve ever watched children in a toy store, you know how excited they can get. But what kids don’t know is that most toys also help them learn.

So while they think it’s all fun and games, they’re actually learning in the process. Sounds sneaky, but it works. It’s easier for children to learn and retain information when they’re doing something fun. Here are some fun toys that are also educational and beneficial to children.

Wonderful Toys for Child Development

1.Babies

Most babies are born with the desire to learn. As soon as they’re able, babies try to touch and taste anything within reach. Everything is new and exciting to them. This is why babies benefit from toys that stimulate their new and growing senses.

Little ones tend to love things that make noise, such as rattles or toys that make music. Colorful toys are good support for developing vision, and building blocks are great for developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills.

2.Toddlers

As babies get older, they can play with a wider variety of toys. But that doesn’t mean the learning has to stop. A toddler can even still play with some of their baby toys. For instance, building blocks can introduce toddlers to counting. Same toy, but different lesson. Using old toys is fine, but it’s best to get new toys appropriate for toddlers.

Shape sorters are a popular choice. These sorters teach toddlers about recognizing and matching shapes. Lego blocks are popular as well for helping toddlers recognize colors, develop motor skills, and stimulate the imagination.

3.School-Age Children

By the time they start preschool, children are ready to focus on language skills, letters, and numbers. Traditional toys like flash cards and puzzles are just as good as ever. And coloring books will never go out of style. But electronic gadgets are also popular. It’s common to see kindergarten children learning to use electronic tablets and computers in the classroom.

The good thing about electronic learning is children can usually have the same gadgets at home. Most homes have at least one electronic tablet or computer a child can use for educational purposes. If you aren’t crazy about your school-age children using devices for entertainment, action figures, can also be a huge hit. Many are based on favorite movie characters and can be a fun way for children to expand their creativity.

4.Teenagers

Learning doesn’t stop when a child reaches high school. You won’t find teenagers playing with building blocks or flash cards. But children this age can still learn while having fun. Older children usually enjoy games that stimulate their senses and spark their imaginations.

The Importance of Playtime

Choosing age-appropriate toys is important. Children will get frustrated and give up if a toy is too difficult. When choosing toys for children, always keep their ages in mind. Playing with toys is important for kids of all ages. It helps them develop cognitive and physical skills, and it makes learning fun. Children are more likely to develop a love of learning when it’s fun. This is a habit that can follow them into adulthood.

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THE EFFECTS OF COLORS ON CHILDREN

The effect of colors on children

Colors affect the bodily functions, mind and emotions with the energy produced by light. Studies conducted clearly demonstrate the benefits of colors where the development of the brain, creativity, productivity and learning are concerned. The effects of color on human beings can be varied; causing excitement, lending calm, giving inspiration, raising anxiety or tension or giving peace are some of these effects. These effects can be observed more distinctly in children. Children can be more sensitive to colors.

For this reason it is quite important to choose colors appropriate for children. Using an intense red color in the room, of an anxious child, or dressing them in red clothes or giving them a red rucksack could make him/her even more restless and tense. The same holds true for very active children as well.

When the energetic color red is used on or around a very active child, the combination could lead to a child who is excessively active all day long. This could also affect their educational success negatively. It would be more appropriate to use blue, green and purple in the belongings of energetic and restless children.

It is also necessary to be especially sensitive in designing children’s rooms. Naturally each and every room in our homes is important, however, a child’s room must be attractive and entertaining, with elements that will contribute to his education and the development of his brain. In choosing the wall color for their rooms, we must endeavor to protect children’s sight, provide them with a proper study environment, protect their physical and mental health and create an environment conducive to a comfortable sleep.

Bedrooms can be of ordinary importance for parents. However, for a child, it is a place he/she sleeps in, plays by himself and spends time with his/her friends. The younger the age of a child the simpler his/her room must be. The rooms of a baby and a 4 year old child must not be the same if possible.

How Colors Affect Children?

In addition to affecting our mood, emotions and actions, color also affects the ambiance of a space as well as how big or small, coldly or warmly it is perceived. Colors are the most commonly used tool by children to express their emotions and thoughts. Although the preferences of children show a general commonality based on age group, their color choices can differ based on their moods, the way they express themselves and their feelings.

Children need to be educated in areas that bolster their creativity and imagination. Due to the fact that classrooms are the most important means of serving this purpose they rank foremost among the factors that require our attention the most.

The links in the brain are not completed in a child until 5 to 6 years of age and they take 1 more year to mature. Due to not being able to read and write at this age they rely more on visual material to establish communication. Thus color is an important tool of expression for them.

Sight starts developing after the 6th month in babies and development continues until the age of 10. Sight is one of the most important senses that connects us to the world. Light and color have a mesmerizing effect on us. On average, the human eye can perceive 150 different colors in visible light. This means a person with normal sight can differentiate between millions of different colors. Color is one of the most important characteristics that can help us assess, estimate and define an object. Each and every person has certain reactions stored in their perceptions and as such the perception of each color addresses the related emotion.

As with all human beings children are also “psychological and physiological” intellectual beings. Children use their senses to facilitate communication with their environment. They use their sense of sight together with light and colors as well as other visual environmental factors, to communicate. According to research studies, color carries critical importance in the development of the cognitive and motor skills of the children.

Color is one of the strongest and most important components of interior design. Color could affect the psychological reactions as well as the physiologic health of children. Especially in children in the 6-7 age group, who have already started school but are not yet able to employ their reading and writing skills fully in communicating, color proves to be a very significant source of outside information. Studies conducted in recent years have revealed to us that color is not used solely to create nice and elegant environments.

Color is an important component of designing the educational spaces of children. Children display their full potential and learn in spaces where they are provided the means and opportunity to learn. Research studies demonstrate the important role played by environmental factors in developing levels of success and productivity, reducing the error rate and inducing positive behavior.

How Do Colors Affect Children’s Brain as Well as the Children Themselves?

Depending on the situation they are used in, colors can give rise to positive or negative effects. Each color used by itself in a room with the expectation of creating a positive effect, carries the possibility of causing a negative reaction instead. Being subject to excessive stimuli can cause changes in breathing pattern, pulse, blood pressure and muscle tension. On the other hand, too little stimuli can lead to anxiousness, sleeplessness, excessive emotional reaction, loss of concentration and nervousness.

To give an example, a completely white environment leads to lack of stimulus and this, contrary to expectations, does not cause a balanced or neutral effect.

Scientific studies demonstrate that colors affect not only the outer layer of the brain but the entire central nervous system as well. According to EEG and pulse measuring systems, men and women react differently to colors. It has been observed that the pulse of a hyperactive child calms down in a room painted in either blue or pink.

When color is transmitted from the eye to the brain, the brain releases a hormone affecting the emotions, mind clarity and energy levels. The negative and positive psychological effects of colors can be observed in human beings based on the combinations they are used in. While babies feel unsettled in a room of mainly yellow, they can feel peaceful and calm in a room painted in a combination of blue, green and yellow.

 

RED

Red is the most dominant color among all colors. It is a strong stimulus. In scientific studies, red has been observed to have a more stimulating effect on visual activity and autonomic nervous system functions in comparison to blue.

Red attracts all the attention and distorts the effect of other colors. The lens of the eye must adjust to be able to focus on red. The natural focal point is behind the retina. The dynamism of red is reduced as it turns into pink with the addition of white and gains softer and calmer undertones. For this reason, the use of red on the walls of children’s rooms must be avoided. Due to its strong and warm effect red could be used as an accent in children’s rooms fashioned in beige, blue and brown. Using intense red in the room of your child who uses it to study, play with his/her friends and sleep in, could have a negative effect on your child. Children could feel themselves tense and aggressive in rooms painted in intense red.

YELLOW

Yellow is the most joyful color on the color scale. It represents wisdom and kindness. It radiates warmth, joy, enthusiasm, fun and inspiration. Its effect is not as severe as red’s. Yellow is relatively a lighter color and as such it has a refreshing effect.

Symbolically yellow represents mental and spiritual enlightenment daylight and communication. Due to the fact that it also affects memory, motivation and attention it is suitable for use in children’s rooms. However, its intense use may cause tenseness and anger. Studies conducted reveal that intense use of yellow could cause babies to cry more.

Calmer and more peaceful environments for children could be created by using yellow in combination with blue and green in babies’ rooms.

BLUE

Blue, in all respects is the total opposite of red. While blue is transparent and wet in appearance red is opaque and dry. Psychologically the cold and comforting nature of blue is the polar opposite of the warmth and excitement of red. In contrast to red, blue reduces body temperature, blood pressure and pulse rate. Blue evokes feelings of contentment, spaciousness and comfort due to being the color of the sky and ocean as well. As the shade of blue approaches black with the addition of black it may become depressive and melancholic. Blue is a color that is widely recommended for use in children’s rooms. Especially in nurseries, the use of blue helps the baby’s easy and peaceful transition into sleep. It can also be comfortably used with active and vibrant children due to its calming effect. As is the case with all other colors, you can accessorize your room in red and yellow when you choose to paint your walls in blue.

GREEN

Green, psychologically represents health, and it has a calming effect on the nervous system. Green is reminiscent of peace, calm and quiet. Due to the fact that the lens of the eye focuses on green on the retina, green is the most relaxing color.

The yellow in green lends an elegant character to this color while the blue renders it warm. Light green reduces pressure. Symbolically green represents the power of nature and life and as such it is considered to be the most natural, relaxing, calming and balanced color. Red signals “stop” there is danger, while green signals “safe crossing” and thus reduces the tension in the body. Green can be used with ease in nurseries, and in children’s and teenagers’ rooms. The use of color green in nurseries will ensure a peaceful and comfortable transition into sleep for the baby. When green is used with more undertones of yellow, it clarifies the mind, and therefore can be used in teenagers’ rooms to foster success in school. The serenity of blue and the mental clarity achieved with yellow will have a good impact on them.

ORANGE

Orange is softer and simpler in comparison to red. It represents happiness, sociability, an extrovert nature as well as joy with the excitement of red and the energy of yellow. It is ideal in overcoming tiredness. It radiates warmth, increases appetite and helps you wake up early in the mornings. Its energy can be lower when saturation is low. It is ideal for use in the rooms of introverted children with problems in socializing. Orange physically represents self-confidence, independence and to a certain extent competition. If there is a separate recreation room in your house and your child spends time there with his/her friends you can easily use shades of orange in this room.

 

PURPLE

Purple is a mixture of red and blue that are physically and psychologically opposites of each other. Its different shades are reminiscent of fragility, elegance and wealth; however, sometimes some shades could prove to be disturbing.

Purple stimulates the part of the brain related to creativity. At the same time it has a calming effect. Violet is a lighter shade of purple and is included in the spectrum. Purple on the other hand is a complex color and in terms of color type there are big differences between them. Girls like pink and purple very much. Purple is a color appropriate for children. Purple can be easily used in the rooms of preschool children that are usually involved in creative activities as well as teenage girls’ rooms for purposes of contributing to their academic skills. Due to the fact that it also contributes to physical and spiritual serenity, purple and its different shades can be used in the rooms of hyperactive and highly animated children.

 

Pink

Pink, which is a mixture of red and white, physically affects us in a positive way. It is relaxing and warm. It is the only lighter shade of red with its own name. Other lighter colors are just light green or light blue. Pink is also psychologically a strong color. It represents the continuity of living beings as well as femininity. It has a deeply soothing effect. Too much pink could be tiring and oppressive. It is not suitable to use too much pink in the rooms of shy and introverted children as this is not an energetic color. It can lead to further withdrawal of this type of children. Pink with lesser undertones of red can be easily used in the rooms of active and energetic children. It evokes feelings of warmth and peace.

 

BROWN

Brown consists of red, yellow and black. It is almost as serious as black; however, it could be said to be softer and warmer. It has this qualities thanks to the red and yellow in its content. It is a color associated with nature and the universe. It is intense, reliable, warm and positive.

In contrast to black, it is considered reliable and supportive by many people. It can be specifically used in teenagers’ rooms. Due to the fact that it is a down-to-earth color influenced by the energy of red and yellow and the seriousness of black, it could prove helpful in developing feelings of responsibility and protection in teenagers. It is a color associated with will and possession. Brown as a color has positive influence on the family and friendships of teenagers. At the same time it gives peace and serenity. It calms teenager’s high spirits and helps them to remain down to earth in the academic field. To achieve success in education simultaneously with relaxation you can choose to color a part of your teenager’s room in a shade that is yellow intense. Moreover, silky beige and straw colors can be used together in nurseries. This color gives rise to feelings of confidence and is relaxing.

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