The Purpose Of Educational Toys

It doesn’t matter if a child’s playing with colored blocks, play food or toys that are driven by the latest technology, you can guarantee that they’re always learning something, no matter what. This is nature coming into play; this is what drives us, however old we are … we all crave knowledge and understanding.

Happily, many of the world’s top minds had worked this out years ago and we’re now lucky enough to have access to some of the best educational products, courtesy of lots of testing, designing and Fisher Price!

Fun aside, we truly are lucky in that we can spend a little, we can spend a lot and yet still have the same guarantee when it comes to educational toys: our children will learn, they will grow they will develop new skill sets and it’s all done exactly as nature intended … through enjoying and achieving.

Discover toys are simply those that promote a child’s need to grasp new experiences and learn from them. Even a toy as simple as a babies rattle can be classed as such. A brightly colored rattle, one that includes color, texture and movement encourages even the very young to reach out and touch and … discover!

This type of toy is extremely common and they’re generally manufactured according to age groups, such as 0 – 12 months, toddlers, and preschoolers and so on. As a child grows, so does his quest for knowledge and of course educational toys need to stay one step ahead.

This is what’s great about them, the fact that every time your child reaches a milestone, there’s always another one ahead. With the right toys, and of course parental support and encouragement, our children take leaps and bounds that are sometimes exhilarating.

Think about a baby walker. These play to a child’s need to move, their need to ‘get upright’ and walk. Whilst they don’t take a baby by the hand and lead them forward, they do provide a safe environment that allows them to learn about balance, improve motor skills and slowly advance their need to become truly mobile.

There are many such products on the market, some ranging from a few dollars up to several hundred and it’s fair to say that you don’t need to spend a lot to gain a happy, confident child. One of the best aspects relating to educational toys is the fact that they’re interactive, and allow for parent/child bonding.

Playing with your child is just as important as when they’re playing alone. We’ve loved playing around with our kids, we still do. More importantly – they love it too! And let’s not forget that when you drag out the toy chest and pull out a few favorite toys, you’re always going to be present any time they do something new … discover and refine a skill they hadn’t quite mastered!

Are educational games useful? Of course they are! There are hundreds of different types, some that can be played in a small group, some alone or in pairs. You can play games online with slightly older children, play cards, build colorful blocks, so many things.

You can buy toys that are largely inexpensive and, using a game format, help your child grow in confidence and understanding. A simple tell-the-time-clock can become an educational game, using a little imagination from mom or dad.

You can use games that cover geography, colors, numbers and letters. As a child grows in terms of age, you can focus on science and the wider world. There are dozens of great jigsaws that focus on maps and various geographical locations.

One company that springs to mind, that deliver a fantastic array of educational toys and games, is LeapFrog. Although they largely rely on technology, they’ve managed to create some of the most popular games on the market, many of which are centered on preschool education.

Educational Insights are another great brand name that produces some very effective learning games for kids. It’s amazing just how much choice there is on the market and it’s one that’s in a constant state of flux.

Learning toys are, pretty much, one and the same as the previous two categories. They still fall firmly in the educational toys camp and can be anything from bright and colorful alphabet magnets up to expensive computer based toys.

Some can be used in an outdoor or mobile environment – outdoor toys are many and all it takes is one small child and their first bike to receive some of the biggest smiles of achievement from any child!

Others are computer based (the wonders of technology!) and as we’re in an ever increasing technological age, it makes sense to use this type of toy as a means of helping out children further along the road of discovery and fun.

Even the most basic of toys – a few crayons and a piece of paper – will encourage a child to think outside the box. Children love to draw and create and watching a child develop their ability to transfer what they see or experience onto paper is just as wonderful as hearing their first words, or watching them take their first steps.

Whilst ever children need to learn through play, educational toys and games will remain ever present and accessible. For parents that’s a wonderful thing and for our children … it’s even better!