You” are your newborn’s first interactive toy. But soon your little one will need objects to explore and learn from. As you get busy building your child’s (0-2 years) toy collection, some pointers to help you in the process:
For Infants: The colorful high contrast black & white toys are best for newborns and young infants (0-2 months). But, because a baby’s visual system wires so rapidly by about 4 months, infants can see many other colors (blues & greens) but in their purest and brightest forms. By 6 months, a baby can see a full spectrum of colors, like, pink & purple.
Rushing to toy shop for “The Brainiest Toy”: Not Necessary!! Some of the brainiest toys you can give your child already exist in your house – pots and pans, measuring spoons, Tupperware style plastic containers, a cardboard box full of colorful material to pull out and stuff back in or a paper bag that crumples!
Note the age recommendations: Those recommendations on toy boxes refers to safety rather than intelligence. Manufacturers are required by law to list the minimum age level for safe use of a toy product. So, don’t get tempted to introduce a toy earlier than the manufacturer’s recommended age. It might result in choking hazards, when a young child uses a toy designed for a more mature child.
Use the “TP Test”: To determine if a toy or a detachable part of a toy is too dangerous to give to a child under 3 years old, check if it will pass through the opening of a standard toilet paper roll tube. If it slides through, it’s not safe, throw it out of the window!!
Prefer variety, not quantity: A child benefits most by having a good variety of playthings. A two year old gains no advantage for having 50 toy cars and plenty of stuffed animals. It will be better to have a few stuffed animals, few cars, some blocks, a doll, a stacking toy, hit me toy, xylophone, home made dough and so on.
Keep rotating: A child’s brain always wants novelty. When you find that your child has lost interest in certain toys, separate them and keep them aside for few days. You may again introduce them but at a different place like – in bathrooms or in your car!! By rotating, you achieve a good balance between totally new toys and familiar toys that can easily reengage your child’s interest.
Choose toys with multiple uses: Toys like blocks, play dough, puppets, non toxic paints sustain interest longer and also tap into child’s imagination. There’s nothing wrong with a toy made to do one thing, like a toy mixer, a toy oven or a toy toaster, but it is the pans and bowls that provide the real interest in play-kitchen. You can save money and clutter by choosing the simpler playthings.
Get clear on “What an educational toy is?” A toy does not have to say “Teach and Learn” on its box to have educational value. Many parents always look for toys that they feel will develop the skills needed with school learning like – counting to 100, or recognition of alphabets. This is not necessary. This kind of rote learning can wait! Also, these basic concepts can easily be introduced by ordinary things easily available at home.
The most educational toys are those that have limitless uses and encourage or ignites your child’s imagination and creativity. That’s why it is said, “The creative adult is the child who survived”.
So, have fun but be wise in building your child’s treasure.
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