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Add to FavoritesMany reports lament the poor state of public education in America as well as the inability of American students to keep pace with their Asian and European counterparts. Therefore, I understand a parent's desire to get their children on the road to academic success as early as possible. To this end, they might choose educational toys rather than "play" toys for their toddlers. However, making a distinction between educational and play toys suggests that toddlers learn nothing from play toys and that just isn't true.
Valuable and valid learning takes place when children play with "play" toys. The learning may not be as direct or as focused as with educational toys, but each type of toy has a purpose, which is to develop little minds.
In the early stages learning is more about play than anything else. Children are beginning to explore their environment mostly through their five senses. The idea is to disguise the learning as fun. Play toys help with this. Parents, you can turn any play toy into an educational toy by asking the right kinds of questions. For example, you can ask young children the following questions about a toy car: what color is? Is it going slow or fast? Is it heavy or light? How many wheels, tires, or lights does it have? Is it big or small? Children are learning observation, classifying, comparing and contrasting skills when these kinds of interactions take place. A cooking set can teach measuring teaspoons, tablespoon, cups and time as children turn gas dials and set microwaves. All this questioning and discussion that parents take for granted help children develop a variety of thinking and questioning skills and build rich vocabularies as well. Research shows that students with larger vocabularies are the best readers and writers.
A big bouncing ball may not appear to be an educational toy at first glance. But if you count bounces, consider color, texture, and size you add educational elements to it. Your toddler also develops gross motors skills chasing, catching, and bouncing a ball. Additionally, you begin early exposure to health and fitness. Toddlers can practice counting and patterns, skills necessary for kindergarten, playing musical instruments like drums and keyboards while at the same time developing fine motor skills. Manipulating play dough also develops fine motor skills while encouraging and developing creativity. Playing with dolls encourages role-play and can teach basic anatomy.
We learn in different ways, so children should be exposed to play toys as well as educational toys. Children should not be taught that only one type of learning is acceptable or that only one type of toy is fun. You do not want them to choose hands-on toys creative toys like Legos only or educational LeapFrog-type toys only. Children need variety and balance too, so both types of toys should be bought at the holidays and throughout the year. Whether an educational or play toy is given, once the toddlers are having fun, they can't help but learn.
Learn more about this author, Glyne Oliver.
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Education
Who says an educational toy can't be great fun? Many toys that are given simply for play may entertain the toddler but will not enrich their learning and mental growth. During the earliest stages of our lives learning is usually the most fun so it makes sense that a toddler should receive an educational toy for the holidays. At this young age most children seem to learn through play so an educational toy is usually manufactured with this in mind. A toy which is therefore educational gives the child the best of both worlds-play and learning all for one price.
Educational toys may also last longer since some can grow with a child. For example, today's children have to be very technologically advanced so an educational video game received during the toddler stage can continue to provide many years of learning. Even an educational toy as simple as lettered building blocks can have an impact that lasts for many years. A child may start out simply by playing with these blocks in a physical manner before recognizing the characters. On the other hand a play toy may be a favorite for awhile before being tossed on a pile and forgotten. The effect of a play toy usually ends when play is over.
Toddler toys that are intended for educational purposes can have other wonderful influences on a child's growth. It can allow them to build their thinking and critical analysis skills. While playing with these toys, they'll learn to find solutions to problems. If you've ever watched a young child solve a problem such as putting the right block into the right shaped hole, you know that accomplishing the task in the right way can bring a great deal of joy. There's a lot of clapping and laughing, the evidence of the toddler's joy. What better way to encourage a child to love learning from a very early age than to give them a way to enjoy their accomplishments.
In addition, many toys including educational ones may require the toddler to be physically engaged. This kind of interactive play may help to not only build the muscles of the brain but of the body. Physical interaction is a great way to build skills such as balance and coordination. Also, accomplishing tasks will help build a toddler's self-esteem. Therefore, when playing with toys that are educational the toddler may experience many more positive consequences than when simply playing with a toy that has no educational purpose.
Learn more about this author, Colleen McKay.
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