Play time is learning time for children, according to Child Care Aware, a parent and child care provider information resource maintained by the National Association of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies. Your child uses toys to explore and interact with the world, so choosing the right toys can help your child learn.
Problem Solving
The right toys can boost your child's problem solving powers by helping her understand cause and effect, encouraging experimentation and showing her how things work, according to "Scholastic Parents." Consider puzzles and construction sets that help your child visualize space by learning how shapes fit together. Toys designed to use in outdoor play, including shovels and pails, can help children experiment with cause and effect.
Basic Concepts
Toys can be a fun way for children to develop an understanding of basic scientific principles. For instance, kids who play with blocks learn about geometry, balance and gravity, while kids who roll trucks or cars around on a play track can learn about physics and gravity. Sorting and stacking toys help kids improve their physical dexterity while teaching them the basics of categorizing and organizing. Musical toys, including xylophones or triangles, teach kids rhythm and pitch.
Social Skills
If you want to boost your child's social skills, look for toys that encourage role-playing, including stuffed animals, puppets, kitchen sets or dollhouses. These types of toys let your child act out strong feelings, tricky situations or everyday behaviors so that they are better equipped to deal with the social world around them. Toys based on finger or clapping games, such as the Itsy Bitsy Spider or Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed, teach kids accepted social behaviors.
Language Development
Books are one of the best toys for teaching your child to expand his verbal horizons. Opt for sturdy board books for very young children so that they can hold the book and turn the pages themselves. To help kids boost their creativity and grow their vocabulary, choose art-based toys, including paints and crayons, and encourage your child to explain his work to you.
