As a parent, you want your toddler to have only the best toddlers toys and many of them. But in terms of their development, which toys are best? Toyco has compiled a list of toys that every toddler should have, to assist in their education, growth and development.
Toys That Go
As babies become toddlers, their curiosity grows just as fast as their little bodies do. With brains like absorbent sponges, toddlers want to learn and experience everything they can in a short period. Their bodies are no different, as you surely learned when they started crawling. Toddlers want to move their bodies, exercise their muscles, and learn while doing it! The best way to encourage your toddler to move and learn more is with toys that go. If it races, bounces, flies or zooms, your toddler will want to know all about it. Just make sure that it’s safe for toddlers to play with, without sharp or pinching edges. Cheap toys generally break easily as well, so be sure to avoid mass-produced toys that are cheap, or your toddler could get injured if it breaks.
Toddler’s toys that encourage movement goes a long way in helping with their gross motor skills. As soon as your toddler learns how to walk, their first steps will quickly turn into unsteady running if they’re chasing after a toy train that zooms around their feet. Keep your toddler moving, and their gross motor skills will develop, as well as their muscle strength.
Toys That Are Cuddly
Bedtime routines are essential with toddlers, especially when they just want to go, go, go! Having something comfortable to snuggle with is a great way to get them ready to go down, and can be achieved by anything soft and cuddly. As long as it’s a well-loved soft toy, your toddler will always ask for it. Whether your toddler only has a couple of soft toys, or too many to count, it’s important to keep them clean. Once a month run them each in the washing machine. If your toddler has been sick, the germs are most likely on their favourite bear that they used for comfort while they were feeling poorly.
Cuddly toys are the perfect way to get your toddler used to different textures. Although the world is full of things that feel different, toddlers can learn a lot more when they’re calm and ready for sleep instead of wide awake and energetic. Try to incorporate soft toys that have different stuffings inside, to develop their sensory skills regarding the way different things feel and sound when they touch them.
Toys That Make Noise
Although many parents don’t believe that electronic toys aren’t needed to engage young children, the truth is that they do love them. Toys that play songs or sounds when you push a button are always a favourite. However, you can engage them with other noisy toys, like musical instruments. You can buy them flutes, bells, drums and more. They don’t need electronic toys to be engaged, but the reason why toddlers love them so much is that they grab their attention so quickly! If you wanted to keep away from electronic toys, you could still use other toddler’s toys that make noise and grab their attention to keep them stimulated.
Toys That Inspire Them
As mentioned, toddler’s minds are so keen on learning everything they can, that you should try to encourage it more often. They’re also exercising their creativity and imagination because it stimulates and inspires them. Although any toy can be incorporated into pretend play, some toys are made for that exact purpose. Toddler’s toys such as wooden blocks in different shapes, colours and sizes can be built into towering fortresses, a shopping centre, or a truck. You can also use alphabet pieces and LEGO to create pretend towns, landscapes or cities, and build them together. Although you need to be careful with traditional LEGO bricks, you can find them much bigger, age-appropriate sizes that are perfect for toddlers. The more you encourage pretend play, the more their creativity will develop, and the more they’ll learn.
The toddler’s toys you buy for your children are about more than just having fun. Yes, children need to have fun, and they learn more when they’re enjoying themselves. However, toys can be used to educate them and develop specific skills that they’ll need in life. Start while they’re still young, and when their brain can’t stop learning and retaining new information, with these popular toddler’s toys.
