Parent Corner
Toys for tots - Choosing toys to enhance children's development
From rattles and teddy bears to
tricycles and fairy wands, toys are an ever-present part of
early childhood. But as many parents of young children have
found, particularly when confronted with the towering racks at
most toy stores, choosing quality, age-appropriate toys can be a
challenge. Not only are the "right" toys a matter of individual
taste, but some are much more likely to enhance children's
development and learning than others.
The best toys are those that actively engage children,
physically and mentally. They can also be used in a variety of
ways, depending on the child's interests, ability levels and
imagination. According to occupational therapist Marian Hammaren,
these are very important elements to look for in toys,
regardless of a child's age or developmental stage.
"A child's job is to play and explore, but today kids are being
raised in an environment that encourages a much more sedentary
lifestyle," says Hammaren.
For this reason Hammaren suggests that families overlook glitzy,
electronic toys (many of which can only be used in one way) and
computerized games (which don't require children to be
physically active) in favor of more basic toys that help enhance
the gross motor skill development of young children.
Gross motor skills are those that come from the physical
activities that kids do naturally-running, jumping, crawling,
climbing. The stretching and strengthening of muscles in early
childhood lead to other refined motor skills, such as grasping
and pinching-skills needed to hold a crayon or pencil or cut
with scissors. They also allow children to hold themselves
upright, make eye contact and sit for lengths of time when
learning such skills as reading and writing once they reach
school age.
BABES IN TOYLAND - An age-by-age guide to choosing toys
BABIES (birth to age 1)
You are your child's first, and most fascinating, plaything.
Every time you coo, tickle or snuggle your children you are
teaching them about a range of human emotions and interactions
in ways that no colorful plastic clown could ever do. Between
three and six months, the roster of favored toys may include
rattles, a host of teething toys or brightly colored stuffed
animal friends. But by and large, babies spend their first year
content to learn about the world through their association with
their parents, with siblings and with themselves.
Around the first birthday, a child's world begins to expand. Now
children are mastering use of their hands to grasp and release
objects. A perfect example of this is the child who can
ceaselessly pick up and drop Cheerios from the tray of the
highchair. They are also beginning to understand the people and
objects in their world by grabbing, pounding, mouthing, tearing,
etc. Many may be pulling themselves up to stand with support
from mom, dad or the coffee table.
At this point, store-bought toys pale by comparison with all of
the other objects that are up for grabs (literally). However,
some objects that are favored by children at this age include
boxes with lids and chunky objects that cannot be swallowed to
put in and take out of the boxes, toys that include pegs to be
hammered through a hole or balls that roll down a chute. Search
your recyclables for unbreakable wide-mouth containers and toss
in a few blocks or balls that fit easily inside. Toys that can
be taken apart, such as stacking toys and wooden or plastic
puzzles with oversized pieces, are also appropriate though
children won't be able to put them back together yet. According
to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, safe toys for
babies are those 1.68 inches in diameter or larger. More
information on toy safety can be found at the website,
www.cpsc.gov.
TODDLERS (Ages 1-3)
At around 12 to 15 months, children's ability to grasp objects
and manipulate them becomes more advanced. They are making the
connection between cause and effect ("If I yell really loudly,
Mommy will come running!"). Here begins the fascination with
making noise by banging on pots and pans and repeatedly opening
and closing cabinets and drawers both to see what's inside and
to hear the noise they make.
"What is really cool with kids at this age," says Hammaren, "is
that with a little imagination you can make almost any of the
items that you use everyday developmentally appropriate and
fun." Along this line, Hammaren suggests creating a drum set
from an empty oatmeal canister and a wooden spoon. A sturdy set
of chunky wooden blocks that come in various shapes and sizes
and toys, such as stacking rings, where one object fits in
sequence after another, are also good additions to the toddler
toy chest. As they near their second birthday, many toddlers
enjoy kid-sized versions of the tools that mom and dad use
everyday. Toy brooms, vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers and gardening
tools are wonderful props for playing at being grown-up and can
give children's muscles a workout too.
Once toddlers hit age two, they can distinguish simple forms and
shapes. Now is a perfect time for shape sorters and wooden
puzzles (the type in which a shape, often with a peg attached
for grasping, is fitted into one of a few spaces in a frame).
At this point most children have developed strength and control
over their bodies and no longer need to use their arms for
support. This frees them to explore with their hands and arms
like never before. Balls become favorite playthings for many
children. Try large beach-type balls for rolling and catching.
Large wooden or colorful plastic stringing beads are great for
enhancing hand/eye coordination. You can make your own set using
empty thread spools and a couple of long shoelaces with knots
tied in the end.
PRESCHOOL YEARS (Ages 3-5)
By age three, most children are masters at running, climbing and
jumping and are beginning to show interest in other, more
structured types of play. Children at this age will begin
scribbling and cutting. Some non-destructive ways for children
to practice their cutting skills include snipping along the edge
of a piece of paper to make a grassy border for a collage or
cutting Playdoh(tm) or cooked pasta tubes into pieces. Paper,
finger paint, chunky crayons and blunt tipped scissors are good
choices for craft supplies.
Many preschoolers love to don a cape or crown and pretend to be
a favored superhero or a member of royalty. Though store-bought
costumes can be beautiful, they are also pricey. Find a sturdy
box to fill with items from your family's closets and jewelry
that you no longer wear. Oversized scarves can become turbans,
skirts and belts; old sunglasses and hats are great for going
incognito. Just remember-never give children items such as ties
and thin scarves that can be wrapped tightly around their necks
and cause strangulation or that include beads or other trim that
can be removed and swallowed.
Hammaren suggests that parents resist the urge to stock up on
"educational" toys with the goal of jumpstarting children's
learning. She says that at this age a good set of building
blocks is still a wonderful toy that can be played with in many
different and imaginative ways. They are also more likely to
teach math skills than expensive electronic toys that work only
when you push certain buttons or when they have charged
batteries in them. Dolls are also great basic toys that can be
used for role playing, making up stories and other verbal
exchanges and practicing emotions.
Other toys that teach valuable school readiness skills include:
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See 'n Say(tm) toys
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Toys for water play
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Lacing cards to encourage hand/eye coordination
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Dot-to-dot games or books that provide practice with numbers and teach sequencing
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Bikes and other riding toys
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Legos(tm) and Duplos(tm) to add an imaginative element to block play
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Simple board and card games that require children to take turns help develop their social skills
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Many older preschoolers develop a beginning interest in sports. At this point sports don't need to be formal or competitive. Buy an inexpensive soccer ball to kick around the yard or make a bowling set from empty milk cartons or soda bottles and a ball.