Do Toys Help With Child Development?

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Toys are great tools for entertaining children for hours on end. They are also very useful for nurturing long term child development. If you’re about to be a parent for the first time, or you’re already a parent and are looking for some inspiration for what to get your bundle of joy next, it might be a good time to explore toys that combine learning and playing a bit more actively. While most toys are designed to stimulate the minds of their users, they also help in a lot of other ways. We’ve got all the benefits you need to know about right here before you decide on the next toy to buy for your child. 

Expanding Their Minds 

Learning through play is one of the best ways to get your child to engage, explore and get to know the world around them. Toys play an active role in helping to expand their minds physically and metaphorically. Through this, the child begins to explore their interests, likes and dislikes. They also learn how to connect to their own inner worlds and creativity, and how that shows up in the way they express themselves. A child’s mind expands by taking in the world around them, and a toy is a great way to make this more fun and to encourage them to be confident as they do so. 

The Importance of Sensory Play

Another way that toys benefit child development is through sensory play. During the first year of their lives, this is what stimulates all five senses. The right toy can help with hand-eye coordination, learning how to interact with other members of the family, and even slowly starting to do basic problem-solving. These skills come in very handy later on in life and may benefit the child as they grow into different stages of their lives. Sensory play helps to ground the child in their environment, helping them to get to know the various ways in which they can explore the world around them. 

A variety of lego man faces

Balance and Coordination

On a more practical note, toys can help with one very important part of child development: movement. As children start to become more mobile (usually between 12 and 24 months old), this introduces an entirely new realm of experience to them, as they are now able to manoeuvre through the world from a different perspective. Balance and coordination can be developed by encouraging them to play with specific toys designed to help get them moving on their feet. This promotes curiosity too, which can come in very handy well into adulthood. 

Expending Additional Energy

Last but not least, toys help with child development by helping them to expend the bundles of energy that they generate over the course of a given day. This not only helps the child to sleep better but also gives their parents a bit of a break, especially on days when everyone feels like they have their hands full. Learning to expend an appropriate amount of energy over the course of the day not only serves them well later in life but also helps to encourage better sleep in the short term. We’re sure that as a parent-to-be (or the parent of a little one) you are happy to hear this. If you’re unsure of where to begin before buying your next toy, look no further than Toy Kingdom. With three decades of experience, we’re here not only to help your child grow but to offer you as a parent peace of mind too. 

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