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10 Best Toys for Your Child’s Learning Development

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As a mom, you want to do what’s best for your child. You want to give them every available opportunity and ensure that they have the best when it comes to growing and developing. You know that toys are important to keep them happy and entertained, but you also want to find something that will help them learn and grow. 

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It is possible to find toys that are both exciting and educational. There are many options available that will stimulate your child’s curiosity and help them with different developmental skills. Below are some of the best toys you might consider for your child’s learning development.

Building Blocks

From regular wooden blocks to Legos, these are great toys that expand your child’s imagination and help them develop their motor skills. Whether they are stacking the blocks to create high towers, sorting them by color or creating houses or other structures, building blocks help kids learn about spatial concepts and sorting. They also learn how high they can stack blocks before they come crashing down.

There are many options when it comes to building blocks for your child, including those with letters and numbers on them, which can help them with letter recognition, spelling, and counting, or even a set with the periodic table on it. You may also decide to get blocks or Legos that are colorful without writing on them. No matter which set you decided to get, allowing your child the freedom to create is a great way to develop their imagination and help them recognize shapes and colors.

Other Building Kits

In addition to developing building skills with building blocks, if you have older kids, you might consider getting them other building kits. These could include building cars, birdhouse or electronic devices.

Like the building blocks, these kits will help them develop fine motor skills, as well as hone their ability to follow instructions. When they can see their creation in action, they will develop a sense of pride and accomplishment that they were able to see the project through and have it work the way it’s supposed to. Even if their project is a failure, they will be able to learn from their mistakes and develop problem-solving skills to make the project look and work the way it should.

Bead Mazes

You have more than likely seen bead mazes in a variety of different places, including at the doctor’s office. These are a great toy to help with your child’s fine motor skills development. To move the pieces from one end to the other, they’ll have to be able to grab them with their fingers and push them along the track, which they will have to navigate with their vision.

These toys are often brightly colored and have beads of different sizes and shapes, so they will also be able to learn colors and shapes. They also can see how things move and see the concept of a beginning and an end.

Shape Sorting Sets

If you are trying to teach your young child about shapes and colors, then one of the best toys to accomplish that task is using a shape sorting set. These come in different forms, including being wooden and plastic. Some sets come with a hammer so your child can pound the shapes into a container or ones that look like a puzzle whey they set the shape in the right space on the surface.

No matter which set you chose to get, this is a great toy to teach your child about shapes and help them learn problem-solving skills. If the shape doesn’t fit in one space, they’ll have to determine which one it fits in. This could be done by trial and error or by matching the peg to the right hole.

Pretend and Play Kits

There are many pretend and play kits that you can get your child to teach them about the various jobs and roles they can have as they get older. From doctor’s kits to vet kits to games about family to tool benches, any of these toys can be entertaining for your child and teach them about the tools needed to do certain jobs.

Pretend and play kits can also develop your child’s imagination, and this is beneficial to them in so many ways. It allows them to identify with the adult world, develop social and language skills and encourage emotional development. 

Science Kits

These kits are probably more appropriate for older children, but you may be able to find ones for toddlers as well. Kids are naturally curious and want to know about their world, so getting them science kits to help them explore and create experiments will help them develop their curiosity and find answers about their environment.

Chemistry kits can also teach them about cause and effect, including what happens when certain items are mixed. They’ll develop the ability to read instructions and how to be safe when working with potentially harmful elements. Microscopes will develop observational skills and encourage kids to see and explore their environment, even those parts that can’t be seen with the naked eye.

Science kits can also help your child develop deductive reasoning and a love for the world around them. By allowing them to explore and check things out, they’ll develop questions and ways to find the answers.

Creation Kits

In addition to science kits, getting your child creation kits can also inspire their curiosity and help them develop reading skills and learn how to follow instructions. There are many different types of kits you can choose from, including slime-making kits, candy-making kits, making lip balm or many others. Your child will develop a sense of pride and accomplishment when they can create the item and use it for fun.

Puzzles

Puzzles are great developmental toys and can be used for kids of all ages. This toy can teach your child spatial awareness as well as problem-solving skills. They’ll have to determine how the pieces fit together. Thus, puzzles can help them develop reasoning and further develop their shape awareness so they can be successful in putting the toy together.

Electronic Learning Games

Whether you like it or not, you have to be aware that electronics have made a huge impact on our world. Most kids today will grow up looking at some kind of screen, whether it’s a tablet or a phone. Use this to your advantage to find games that will aid in your child’s development. 

There are a lot of apps and games that can help your child with letter and number recognition, learn their colors and shapes and also teach them how to read. While it’s a good idea to limit the amount of time they spend on these devices, don’t fight their desire to play on them. Find games that encourage learning and allow your child to play them.

Audiobooks

While not necessarily classified as a toy, letting your child experience audiobooks is a great way to develop reading skills. By pairing the audiobook with the text, they will be able to see the words as they hear them. This can also help them develop language skills. Reading is a fundamental part of your child’s education. Most kids love to hear stories and others talk, and audiobooks are a great way to teach them about the world and keep them engaged with fun and exciting stories.

Finding the Right Toy

When it comes to finding the right toy to encourage your child’s development, it’s a good idea to know what your child is interested in. If they don’t have the ability or patience to sit for extended periods, then getting them a puzzle and expecting them to be engaged with it is probably a bad idea. If they like to move and be active, then find toys that will allow them to do that. Pretend and play toys or the bead mazes might be a good option.

You’ll also want to find toys that are appropriate for their age. Giving a toddler a chemistry set that is developed for older kids isn’t going to be the best idea. However, giving a young child a set that allows them to create slime can still be a way to show them cause and effect and teach them to follow instructions.

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As a mom, you want what’s best for your kids, and finding toys that encourage development doesn’t have to be hard. There are options for kids of all ages, and in addition to helping them learn skills, these toys can also encourage your child to have fun. 

Author’s bio:

My name is Ivana Davies and I’m an educator turned stay-at-home mom to a beautiful 7-year-old girl and a playful 5-year-old boy. Since I didn’t have a clue about raising kids, I had to learn it all in a hard way. I managed to find so much information online, and that inspired me to turn to blogging to share my experiences and struggles as a mom. Being a mom is not easy. In fact, it can sometimes be pretty isolating. My blog, Find Your Mom Tribe, is here to help you connect with other moms, as well as to share mom hacks, information, and tools to help you on this parenting journey. You can catch up with us on Facebook and Pinterest.