mothers
April 29, 2024
Minutes To Read: 2

Toys for children of every age

Many parents feel lost with the huge supply and variety of toys, making them doubtful when it comes to giving their children a gift and identifying what is the best choice in terms of entertainment and learning for each child age.

As one of the goals of play is to stimulate skills, these parents, eager to develop skills, make wrong choices not being aware of the needs of each phase of child development.

Toys as the right stimulus

"Some parents tend to buy toys recommended at a later age than their children because they believe it will accelerate their child's development, which eventually discourages and causes disinterest," explains Maria Ângela Barbato Carneiro, a professor at the Pontifical Catholic University College of Education. São Paulo and coordinator of the playroom of this university.

In order to make the right choice when buying toys, some aspects must be observed, such as the child's interest and the consistency between the child's age and the complexity of understanding the use and safety of the toy's material.

It is also important to try to combine, in a pleasant way for young people, fun with the needs of personality development.

For example, a very shy child should not only have the concentration games she usually prefers, but also toys that combine this attention feature with socialization, such as those that foster multiplayer interaction.

The ideal toy for every age

Up to 6 months: They need toys to help you discover your body, get used to movement and distinguish smells, sounds, textures, shapes and colors. Crib mobiles, scented (non-toxic) dolls, rattles, teethers and colorful plastic toys in various shapes are some examples;
From 7 to 12 months: Begin to explore objects and recognize voices. It's interesting to offer stuffed animals, button toys that make sounds and balls;
From 13 to 18 months: They begin to recognize the properties of objects. They like large-piece nesting and stacking toys, for example;
19-24 months: They start talking, understanding and discovering their environment. Trolleys, tricycles, doodles and mini musical instruments are excellent options;
From 2 to 3 years old: They are curious about the names of things and imitate family members. Tricycles, shovels, buckets, puzzles, coloring magazines, dolls and joke phones easily make the joy;
From 3 to 5 years old: Get easier memory and interact with friends. Bicycles, movies, books, and puppets suit them well;
From 6 to 8 years old: Already able to add and subtract, read and write. Encourage them with skateboards, remote-controlled cars, and quiz games;
From 9 to 11 years old: They are interested in complicated activities. Accessories for sports, strategy and reflection games or electronic experiments are often pleasing;
From 12 years of age: They are building their own identities, developing a taste for more elaborate books, music and movies and video games, tablet applications, and high-level computer and board games.

It is important that parents, in addition to making good choices regarding their children's sources of fun and hobbies, do not use entertainment instruments as reward or punishment, or satisfy momentary whims or overuse toys, as it is important to have small ?frustrations? for the development of good character, imagination and intelligence.