This week I had the exciting opportunity of presenting at the Shenandoah Valley Discovery Museum! I did a presentation on appropriate toy choice for play and wanted to share some of the information that I educated on here in my blog too! Being a part of the Winchester community and building ties is so EXCITING for me. I have already gone out and done community out-reach at preschools/daycares and have another presentation at SVDM on Dec 21 at 2PM for their PJ-Day on gross motor/coordination building games!
But without further delay, lets get into what toys are the best at what ages and stages to promote development!
First things first, why play??
To play or not to play? And the answer will resoundingly ALWAYS be PLAY! Because it is literally your child’s ONLY job! That is why! Children grow and develop through play and we should encourage it as much as possible! Their play involves extreme repetition. One study showed that a baby will practice standing for up to 6 hours a day! Same goes for other skills and they get this practice through play and toy driven activities. The following are a few ways they develop through play and interaction with appropriate toys:
Develop physical coordination/strength
Develop emotional maturity
Develop cognitive and problem solving skills
Develop social skills to Interact with other children
Develop self-confidence to try new experiences and explore new environments
Types of Play
There are several types of play that children engage in to develop certain skills as they develop!
Sensory rich play: develop smell, touch, sight, hearing, and movement senses
Manipulative play: develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity
Gross motor/locomotor play: develop whole body coordination, strength, and endurance
So what’s the right toy for my kid?
Each age and stage leads to different cognitive, gross motor, dexterity, and coordination skills as well as different developmental interests in the world around them as they develop. Thus, each age and stage will have a different set of appropriate toys. A toy too easy to play with will be boring and not stimulating enough for our child. A toy too challenging may be off putting and frustrating for your child. Either scenario may lead to behavioral issues or difficulty engaging in appropriate play behaviors. Below is suggestions for toys by Age and Stage and an explanation for each choice!
Bright, colorful, and light weight toys are perfect!
Infants: 0-12 months
Toys should be BRIGHT and Colorful! Should appeal to sight, touch, and hearing senses!
Newborn-3 months
Think visual and auditory stimulation! high contrast black and white images, mobiles, your face/voice are the best toys!
3-6 month
Toys they can easily hold and manipulate on their own! light weight toys, bright colors/high contrast, make noise/music (rattle, crunch, etc.), easily held/teethed on/washed
6-12 month
Beginning stages of interest in cause/effect toys; light weight toys, “busy boards”: includes buttons, items to pull/push, make noise; large blocks and something to put them in/take them out (aka large bowl/basket); cloth, plastic, board books with texture!
Nesting/stacking blocks and cups are great for encouraging movement, understanding of object dimensions, and problem solving.
Photo by Markus Spiske temporausch.com from Pexels
Toddlers: 12-24 months
Toys should be Safe and Unbreakable! They need to withstand a toddler’s Curious Nature
Toddlers also get excited by being able to DO something.
Simple toys that are easy to stack, pour, scoop, and throw!
Think balls, nesting/stacking blocks/cups, sand/water toys
Push/pull toys (avoid long cords)
Ride-on toys using foot propulsion
Musical toys
Simple shape/color puzzles (only a few pieces)
Clothe, Plastic, and Board books
Avoid talking toys as they REDUCE language development: I suggest that you spend more time doing the talking for the toy! Example: “This is a yellow circle!” as you hand the toy to your child. Or if you catch them holding a particular toy “You are holding a red block!”
Sand/water toys to play with work on tactile development, gross, and fine motor skills.
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Preschooler: 2-5 Year Olds
This age LOVES imitating YOU and their older siblings! Toys should direct this type of mimicking play.
Locomotor/transportation toys and Outdoor Toys
bikes, trikes, wagons, sandbox, swing, slide, balls in a variety of sizes
Imitation toys
kitchen/household toys (this includes old kitchen items such as pots, pans, and utensils!), dress up, tea party, hammer/bench
Creative Play Toys
building blocks, crayons/play dough/finger paint
Cognitive Development toys
short action stories with pictures, large piece puzzles
Outdoor toys that encourage gross motor development, strength, and endurance!
Photo by Agung Pandit Wiguna from Pexels
Early Elementary: 5-9 year olds
Toys for this age should help to build new skills and creativity.
Locomotor and Outside Toys
Bikes/Roller skates (& protective gear!), sports equipment (basketball hoop, bat/ball/glove), jump rope/hula-hoop
Creative Toys
Sewing sets, hand puppets, paper dolls, age appropriate crafts
Cognitive Development Toys
Games: Card games, board games
Puzzles with increasing complexity /# of pieces
Age appropriate books – simple chapter books
Board games/card games are perfect for the older child!
Photo by Ylanite Koppens from Pexels
Late Elementary, Middle School, and Beyond: 10+ years old
Hobbies and scientific activities are ideal for this age population.
Hobbies
Collections, sewing/needle point, crafts kits, model trains/planes/boats, books
Scientific
Microscope, telescope, experiment kits
Games
Table, card, and board games; computer games (remember screen time limits); complex puzzles
Outside Toys
Sports equipment, bikes, scooters, rollerblades (& all necessary protective gear!)
Screen time can lead to decreased physical activity levels and potentially weight gain/obesity.
Photo by Jessica Lewis from Pexels
Hot Topic in Play: Screen Time!
No blog on play and toys would be complete without a mention to the hot topic in child distraction/interaction: screen time! We’ve all done it: A screaming toddler…hand over the phone with some Youtube video on it and screaming quiets…at least for a little while…
Now I am not here to teach you how to parent, that is not my expertise, but I am going to list of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for appropriate screen time and why its important developmentally to limit the amount of time your children are stuck in front of a screen.
Some of the negative impacts of screen time at any age:
Reduces activity levels
Increased risk of weight gain and poor fitness
Impacts developing brain
Reduces problem solving development
Emotional development
Social Interaction skills
Impacts development of gross and fine motor skills through play
Recommendations at each age bracket:
0-24 months old
AAP recommends absolutely NO screen time for this age range.
2-5 year olds
AAP recommends a max of 1 hour of screen time where you watch with them to help them understand the content and apply it to the real world
6+ year olds
AAP recommends up to 2 hours of screen time a day for children 6+ years old (Play and Educational Combined), which should NOT interfere with physical activity or sleep
Toys are fun and interactive ways to engage children and help them develop! I hope you found this blog informational. I want to thank the American Academy of Pediatrics for having such a plethora of information and guidelines available on their website to help supplement information for this blog!