Kids start learning as soon as they are born. They experience and observe things around them and learn from them. Therefore the environment around them plays a crucial role in their ideal growth and development. The primary learning environment for kids is their home, and their learning starts there. They observe their parents, siblings and people around them and learn skills like walking, drinking, eating, talking, etc. But life is not limited to these activities.
Kids need to learn the life skills that will prepare them for their future life. As a parent, you must have realized kids have curious minds. They ask many questions that may sound silly but are an attempt to satisfy their curiosity. Every parent must be happy that their kid is asking questions to learn more. But you can’t ask them to study and find their answers. They are kids. You must guide them in the right directions, arrange the necessary things to satisfy their curious mind, and help them learn life skills like decision-making, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, emotional intelligence, etc.
As kids learn through the situations and objects around them and love to play with toys, why not accompany them with suitable learning toys? Learning toys for kids acts as tools to spark their imagination, satisfy their curiosities and solve problems on their own. These learning and educational toys consist of components, colours, shapes, and patterns that stimulate their senses and help them learn through play. But what are these educational toys? What makes them different from traditional toys? How do they help kids learn? Many parents have these and many more questions about educational toys. This comprehensive guide will help you understand more about educational and learning toys for kids. Take a look.
What makes a toy educational?
Educational toys are playing objects that are specially designed for children. These toys stimulate learning and are developed to meet a particular educational purpose to help kids naturally develop a specific skill set. Many toys also encourage learning about a particular subject such as math and science. Educational toys are also called instructive toys, consisting of a series of steps that lead to the end results. It helps kids to learn that every reward comes from a process of work that includes the right set of steps. Educational toys are also known to simplify, miniaturize and mould some activities used by adults.
As mentioned earlier, kids regularly interact with various objects and learn about the world. Many of these objects are not toys. That is what differentiates toys from other objects. For example, learning toys for 4 year olds are specifically designed by keeping in mind the learning needs of 4 year old kids, and the same goes for learning toys for 5 year olds. A child might play with an empty cardboard box, a leaf or a rock, but that doesn’t make their toys because they are naturally present, are not explicitly designed and do not have a particular educational purpose.
Specific differences are often found in the intention and value created by the toys. The learning toys are supposed to instruct and promote curiosity, knowledge and emotional and physical development. The learning toy should give the child a particular subject or help them learn a specific skill such as colour or pattern recognition, stacking objects, etc. By keeping this in mind, many brands develop educational toys, especially for learning purposes.
Benefits of Educational Toys
Learning toys are undoubtedly effective in promoting learning and certain skills in kids. They help to spark imagination in the kids’ minds, encourage them to solve problems, find creative solutions, incorporate their learning to solve future issues and understand colours, shapes and patterns. Many parents often underestimate the value of learning toys and treat them as other regular toys. It’s important to realize that learning toys support your child’s learning and ideal physical and mental growth. If you are still wondering how they help a child’s learning, here are some benefits of educational toys and their role in your child’s physical and intellectual growth.
It boosts IQ
Though every kid has a certain IQ level, various practices incorporated from childhood can boost a child’s IQ level. Learning toys promote creative problem solving, recognition, memorisation, motor, and hand-eye coordination. As kids spend more time with educational toys, they develop their IQ levels automatically. For example, learning toys for 6 year olds are specially designed to understand their learning levels and promote the relevant skills.
Develop Senses
The human body uses senses to perceive and understand the world around it. These senses work as mediums or channels to receive information from the outside world and make decisions based on them. If someone gains control of these senses, they can control the entire human body. Learning toys create sensations in kids. They feel challenged, motivated, encouraged, excited, and determined when encountering a problem. The majority of senses that learning toys improve your hearing, sights and touch. Kids use these senses to interact with learning toys and seek the necessary skills.
Develop problem-solving skills
We are often faced with plenty of challenges in our daily lives. The response to these problems determines what kind of person you are and how effectively you can manage yourself under the pressure of the issues. Many people often break and give up due to pressure, while some use their knowledge and skills to find a creative response to a problem. Learning toys develop problem-solving skills by presenting kids with various challenges of varying difficulties. Kids learn to find solutions to these problems.
Learning toys has an immense value in a kid’s learning. They are just playtime objects but help kids develop life skills that will shape their future. Parents must be conscious about what toys they choose for their kids and help them learn the necessary life skills.
