Develop Your Child’s Senses
Playing with toys can help to develop children’s senses from birth. Always choose the most suitable toy for their age range and I would encourage you to choose a variety of different ones.
Choose toys that make noises, for younger children a toy that makes any sound is good as it will keep them entertained and inquisitive as to what the toy is.
For older children that are more advanced and maybe learning to talk choose toys that make the sound of the object itself. For example a fire engine that makes the correct warning signal, this will help your child to start to identify the object and associated the sounds to the object.
Touch and sight are the other main senses important to your childs development. This is why it is important to encourage your children to play with a number of different toys as they all have a different feel.
Develop Your Child’s Imagination
Remember those playground games, such as doctors and nurses. Or maybe you even remember when you used to pretend you were a superhero saving the world.
The imagination of a child is a wonderful thing and should not be discouraged. Having an active imagination will also help your child to understand reality, for instance imagining historical events.
Telling a child that Father Christmas exists is something that all parents do to excite children near the festive period but also let their imagination grow. Sometimes as a child it is important to distance yourself from reality to enjoy things even more.
If a child has a good imagination and can imagine themselves in someone elses shoes they can also develop socially by understanding situations.
Developing a Child’s Communication
Playing and the use of toys is a great way to enhance your child’s communication skills.
Even if they are playing with toys and not others you will hear a child talk and communicate either with the toy itself or they will communicate using two toys talking to each other.
As I am sure you are aware it is important that a pre-school child learns these skills prior to going to school. This will not only help them communicate with other children better but with adults too.
If your child is able to understand and communicate to a good standard this will help them learn at school much easier.
Responsible And Independent
The use of toys to encourage independence at any age is good. Using a toy to keep a baby entertained and learning new senses is fantastic, but also for older children play can give them confidence and independence. It will help and encourage them to problem solve on their own and feel secure in their own company.
Toys are also a great way of teaching children about responsibility. Encourage your child to look after their toys and clean and clear them away after playing. Not only will this make your life easier but also help them learn responsibility for personal belongings.
Make Learning Fun
Toys and play are a brilliant way to help your child learn and develop whether they are of a pre-school age or already at school.
It is widely believed that children who are encouraged to learn at home or have a parent that takes an active interest in their child’s school work will perform better at school.