Why is it important to get your child educational toys?
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova
As a parent, it’s your responsibility to equip your child with the tools they need in order to be a well-abled, functioning adult in society. Parenthood isn’t a glorified babysitting role. In fact, it’s one of the most important and impactful jobs a person can have. When it’s harnessed and handled with care, it can lead to transformational changes in the trajectory of those who benefit from it. Each detail matters in parenthood. When you’re looking at the way your child spends their time and what they do, you’ll want to make sure there’s intentionality behind it all. This is why it’s wise to invest in educational toys for your children. If you’re not convinced yet, consider five reasons why educational toys are important.
Infusing joy into learning
Toys are used during playtime. They’re a source of joy and pleasure for little ones. When you can find toys that also educate, it’s a win-win situation. During playtime, a child is typically relaxed and ready to have fun. They’re not looking a playtime as a study session. However, with the right toys, playtime can be a ton of fun as they’re able to learn new things, win certain games and educate themselves at the same time.
To remain on track with development
Most pediatricians, teachers, and child psychologists agree that a child should be on track to learn certain concepts at certain ages. Whether they’re learning their alphabet, how to write cursive, or properly enunciate and recognize sight words, children are given proverbial timelines. It’s important to note that each child is different. When a child is ready, they’ll absorb and demonstrate full comprehension of the given concepts. However, when you can cultivate an environment that encourages them to learn through toys, games, and educational shows, this makes it easier for the child to either remain on track or advance with their development.
Helping to build context
Living in the age of technology, it can be tough to communicate these concepts to adults. While there are many children who understand how to operate a smartphone from their toddler years, it’s helpful when you can eventually provide context for what they’re learning. Toys like circuit cubes help to provide a different dimension and understanding of what’s involved in a STEM project, how technology works, and more. Taking time out to play with these types of toys might lead to a deep love for engineering, science, or another type of career in the future.
Sponge-like brains
Children absorb everything. From a physical perspective, crawling babies pick up everything from the floor to put in their mouths. From a psychological perspective, children pick up everything you teach them. They are sponges. If a child becomes a bully at school, chances are they’re being bullied by their parents at home. They will pick up whatever they see you do. This is why you need to lead by example. When you want your child to pick up a book and read, make sure they see you doing the same thing. In fact, set the timer for 20 minutes so you and your child can read together. As it pertains to toys, find educational toys that you two can enjoy together as well. Whether you’re playing with a STEAM-focused toy or building a coding game together, allow them to see you do it because children are sponges.
Environment for learning
It is important to get your child educational toys because it sets up the environment for learning. If you’re surrounded by people who are religious, chances are you’ll become religious too. If you’re in an environment where everyone knows how to sing, you’ll learn how to do it too. If you’re in an environment where everything is centered around learning and growth, you’re going to learn and grow as well. This is why teachers put up educational posters and visual stimuli to encourage learning when the children come into the classroom. Educational toys are excellent backdrops for helping your child to understand that this environment is conducive to the learning process.
Give your child room to play and enjoy their childhood years. You don’t want to turn your child into an individual who’s militant, stoic, and hard. Instead, give them the room to enjoy their childhood. At the same time, you’ll still want to plant the right seeds so they’ll grow up with a love of learning. When they’re curious, interested, and filled with purpose, know that this is partly because of the love of education you can place inside of them.