Consultation for parents “What toys are important for children at an early age”

What are toys for?

Toys are the constant companions of childhood. Playing for a child is not just a pastime, but a way to learn something new and develop their abilities. Initially, toys were smaller copies of tools, and their function was to teach a child how to use them (for example, small bows and arrows used to be made for kids so that they could learn to hunt). Subsequently, when such a need disappeared, despite the fact that the appearance of the toy remained unchanged, it became a tool for developing any skills.

Toys play a big role in children's lives. Most of them are simplified and smaller copies of real objects and bring the child closer to the world of adults.

The role of the toy also changes depending on the age of the child. If initially the external attractiveness of a toy and its correspondence with real objects of life are important for children, then already in senior preschool, its “generalization” and versatility are valued.

Teachers and psychologists distinguish the following types of toys.

1. Story-based toys (dolls, sets of professions, animal figurines, etc.);
2. Didactic toys (puzzles, construction sets, actual didactic games);
3. Sports toys (balls, hoops, jump ropes, etc.);
4. Musical toys (tambourines, rattles, xylophones, etc.);
5. Board games;
6. Theatrical toys (puppet and finger theater);
7. Fun toys (used for entertainment).

Toys also differ in their purpose:

1. Toys that promote the development of the personal sphere;
2. Toys that promote motor and cognitive development.

Be aware of yourself

Repetition is the mother of learning. The child often experiences difficulties in assessing situations in his own life. In order to develop an adequate attitude towards certain events, the baby needs to repeat them. For this you will need a doll: for a girl - a girl, for a boy - a boy. With this doll, the child will simulate all the situations that happen to him, which will allow him to rethink them and extract the maximum information from the experience. The role of the doll toy for young children of both sexes is difficult to overestimate: using its example, the child tries to understand his place in society.

Do children need a lot of toys?

If you ask your child if he has enough toys, he will answer that of course not. It's never enough for kids! But, nevertheless, adults decide how many toys to buy. Some parents try to ensure that their baby has as many toys as possible, without thinking about whether they are really necessary. Psychologists say that having too many toys at home brings little benefit to a child. In this case, they cease to have value for the baby, and many of those that exist lie idle. To prevent this from happening, from time to time you need to remove some of the toys, and when the child has played enough with the remaining ones, replace them too.

Children don't need too many toys. Watch your child play and you will notice that your child often plays with some toys, but shows almost no interest in others.

There should be variety among toys. Try to ensure that your baby has different types of toys: musical, sports, tabletop, etc. Among a sufficient number of toys, the child usually chooses his favorite ones, to which he develops an attachment. By playing with them, children learn care and responsibility.

Approach the choice of toys carefully:

• Do not buy toys casually, for example, when you go to the grocery store;
• Don't follow toy trends blindly;
• Focus on age needs;
• Consider your child's interests;

Doll or car

The oldest doll was found in the Czech Republic: according to experts, it is 30-35 thousand years old. Even our primitive ancestors understood how necessary this toy was for their children! The first Egyptian dolls already had real hair, movable arms and legs, clothes and headdresses.

Dolls and cars/soldiers help children understand their gender identity and social roles. The girl will be happy to pretend to be her mother, caring for her “daughter” doll - feeding, dressing and taking care of her. And the boy will readily “drive” to work in a car, “like dad,” or go with the soldiers to “defend the Motherland.” These toys are also useful because they simplify the child’s adaptation to a group of peers: one “driver” will see the other from afar - they can exchange cars, go on a “trip” around the playground together, and you never know what other interesting activities you can do when you have them in your hands such an invaluable gaming tool!

Toys for babies up to one year old

The age of the child is one of the main criteria for choosing toys. The main task of toys for children under one year of age is to stimulate the senses (vision, hearing, touch). They should be bright, pleasant to the touch and, above all, safe. For babies up to one year old, the following toys are suitable:

• Developmental mat with arcs;
• Musical toys (rattles, bells, tambourines, rustling toys);
• Tactile bags;
• Balls (including massage balls);
• Soft and wooden cubes;
• Insert frames;
• Finger toys;
• Safe objects from real life (plastic bottles, beads, wooden spoons, etc.);
• Bath toys.

The younger the child, the fewer toys he needs. Much more valuable is emotional communication with close adults, which occurs, including during the game.

What toys are useful for young children

The leading activity of children from 1.5 to 3 years old is object-manipulative activity, which is associated with mastering cultural ways of operating with objects. Children of this age learn to use a spoon, wash their hands with soap, open and close locks, get dressed, and so on. Therefore, the most useful toys for young children are ordinary household items. They will also be interested and useful in toys that develop visual and effective thinking, fine motor skills and cognitive activity:

• Laces;
• Sorters;
• Insert frames;
• Business boards;
• Rolling toys;
• Matryoshka dolls;
• Pyramids;
• Cars;
• Cubes;
• Construction set with large parts;
• Musical toys;
• Sports toys;
• Books;
• Kinetic sand;
• Sets for creativity (drawing, modeling, applique);
• Sensory boxes;
• Spatulas, scoops, sieves;
• Educational cards and so on.

Young children strive for independence, so they should have the opportunity to play alone. It is very important that children’s toys are of high quality and safe, as well as intuitive for the child.

The issue of storing toys should also be given attention. Sort the toys into categories and place them in containers or baskets. The child must know where everything is and learn to put toys back in their place on their own.

Learning to sit, teething

When the baby learns to sit, which happens around 5-7 months, his arm movements will become more free. From now on, he begins to taste the toys. It is necessary to carefully select educational toys for children aged 7 months and older.

The store for kids "Shmelek.ru" always has a large selection of high-quality educational toys for young children:

• Attractive, positive;
• Safe – does not contain small parts that could cause choking, or sharp edges that could cause injury;
• Non-toxic: no materials or dyes were used in their production that could harm the health of the child.

Shmelek.ru works directly with trusted toy manufacturers who have all the necessary certificates and permits. You will never find random products of unknown origin in our catalog. You can trust Shmelk: only the best educational toys are collected here for your kids.

The most necessary toys for preschool children

Preschool children are very inquisitive and full of energy. Toys for preschoolers should be varied, including allowing the child to develop through role-playing games. If your child attends classes or kindergarten using the Montessori system, it is worth choosing for games at home those aids and toys that will complement the Montessori materials with which the child practices at the club.

• Books. For children aged 3 to 5 years, it is better to choose fairy tales with a simple plot or stories from everyday life. Children of older preschool age (5-7 years old) are already beginning to read on their own, so they will enjoy short illustrated stories printed in large print. For joint reading, you can choose books with more complex plots, including fantastic ones.

• Materials for creativity. This can be colored paper and cardboard, plasticine and modeling dough, pencils, paints, scissors, glue and much more.
• Designers. From soft and large cubes, as the child grows up, you can move on to construction sets with small and original details. Games with a constructor are good for developing fine motor skills, attention, thinking and imagination.
• Sensory boxes. This is a wonderful multifunctional toy that is suitable for children from 6 months to 7 years. It is easy to do using improvised means with minimal material costs. The filling of the sensory box can be varied: cereals, pasta, stones, sand, cones, nuts, water, and so on. Preschool children (over 3 years old) will be interested in themed sensory boxes. With their help, the child will learn new things about the world around him in a playful way. Such games are also very useful for the baby because they perfectly develop memory, attention, thinking and imagination.
• Puppet and finger theater not only perfectly develop imagination and speech, but also allow the child to fully express their creative abilities.

In the Montessori approach, story toys are not welcome. They may well be replaced by comfortable and appropriately sized real objects.

• Board games. Currently, there is a wide variety of board games for children of different ages. With their help, the baby can learn to count and read, follow rules, develop cognitive processes and fine motor skills. Games that can be played with the whole family are especially important.
• Sport equipment. For harmonious development, a child simply needs physical activity. It’s great if your child has balls, jump ropes, tunnels and other sports equipment at home.

conclusions

When choosing toys for your child, we recommend that you follow the principle “less is more.” They should not only keep the baby occupied, but also develop him. Focus on the child's age, needs and interests. In addition, a children's toy must be of high quality and safe. For games, it is quite possible to use various household items, as well as toys made by yourself.