Parents and grandparents often agonize over the kids toys they buy for the special little ones in their life. With so many choices today, it can often be overwhelming.
Technological, and gadget like toys tend to be the most advertised and talked about, but these are always stocked in toy stores in addition to the more traditional, simpler, types of toys - not as replacements for them.
These toys that perform scripted actions are limiting as to how imaginative kids can be with them. For example, a robot that has a lot of flashing lights, but only says stop, is not going to offer a whole lot of options for imaginations to run wild. At our house a cardboard toy box gets played with more often than the toys inside it.
The kids toys that will keep them entertained time after time are those that can be completely different each time they play. Building blocks, dress up clothes, dolls and toy soldiers are great examples of this. They are using the same toy each time, but each session can have a wildly different theme, or even no theme at all.
My kids, even though I have a boy and a girl, want to turn everything into a sword. They assume the role of whatever takes their fancy at the time, with pirates, ninjas and superheros being particular favorites. Countless times the toys they practically begged me for last weekend have been deserted whilst they run around the garden with tree branches in hand trying to take each others 'treasure'.
A childs imagination really is a wonderful thing! That's not to say that you should let them run wild with it unsupervised though, as the situations that they want to play out can be as dangerous as they are creative. Whilst modern fancy toys undergo rigorous safety testing, their simpler alternatives can only be tested in a limited fashion. After all, how much testing can really do on building blocks and plastics swords? It's that the toy in itself can be dangerous, it's the way that children find to utilize them. So, always be on your guard and keep an eye on them.
For small babies, make sure the baby toys are soft. Even little babies will close a fist around objects placed in the palm. They don't have the motor control, however, to keep from hitting themselves in the face and body with their flailing arms. So be sure the baby will not harm itself with the toy by making sure it is soft, and does not have hard parts like buttons or eyes.
So, the next time you are out and wondering what toy to buy for your little special ones, do not automatically go straight for the latest fad, instead, give at least a little thought to the toys that will encourage and develop their imagination.
Technological, and gadget like toys tend to be the most advertised and talked about, but these are always stocked in toy stores in addition to the more traditional, simpler, types of toys - not as replacements for them.
These toys that perform scripted actions are limiting as to how imaginative kids can be with them. For example, a robot that has a lot of flashing lights, but only says stop, is not going to offer a whole lot of options for imaginations to run wild. At our house a cardboard toy box gets played with more often than the toys inside it.
The kids toys that will keep them entertained time after time are those that can be completely different each time they play. Building blocks, dress up clothes, dolls and toy soldiers are great examples of this. They are using the same toy each time, but each session can have a wildly different theme, or even no theme at all.
My kids, even though I have a boy and a girl, want to turn everything into a sword. They assume the role of whatever takes their fancy at the time, with pirates, ninjas and superheros being particular favorites. Countless times the toys they practically begged me for last weekend have been deserted whilst they run around the garden with tree branches in hand trying to take each others 'treasure'.
A childs imagination really is a wonderful thing! That's not to say that you should let them run wild with it unsupervised though, as the situations that they want to play out can be as dangerous as they are creative. Whilst modern fancy toys undergo rigorous safety testing, their simpler alternatives can only be tested in a limited fashion. After all, how much testing can really do on building blocks and plastics swords? It's that the toy in itself can be dangerous, it's the way that children find to utilize them. So, always be on your guard and keep an eye on them.
For small babies, make sure the baby toys are soft. Even little babies will close a fist around objects placed in the palm. They don't have the motor control, however, to keep from hitting themselves in the face and body with their flailing arms. So be sure the baby will not harm itself with the toy by making sure it is soft, and does not have hard parts like buttons or eyes.
So, the next time you are out and wondering what toy to buy for your little special ones, do not automatically go straight for the latest fad, instead, give at least a little thought to the toys that will encourage and develop their imagination.
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