Educational Toys for Toddlers That Help Them Learn and Grow
As a parent, you know that your toddler is into…well, pretty much everything! Toddlers are very, very busy. They are testing boundaries, and developing their creative and cognitive skills at an astounding rate. Everything is a new experience for them, and an opportunity to learn and grow. There are many different types of educational toys for toddlers that you can provide for them to help satisfy their need for stimulation and learning.
Toddlers are seemingly full of never-ending energy. They run, they climb, they jump…and they need educational toys that encourage muscle coordination and skill. Anything they can push, pull, pedal and climb will encourage this development…and let them burn off some energy. Wagons, toy vacuum cleaners, tricycles and playhouses will get them moving and exploring their bodies and how they perform and relate to their environment. Even simple things, like letting your toddler sweep the floor or wipe a table with you, teach them coordination.
They also need to use their hands and develop small motor coordination. Building toys are great, but need to be simple and easy to handle. Lego tends to be too small for toddlers, so larger blocks that press and pull apart with little effort are better. Also, as toddlers still like to put things in their mouths, small items are a definite no-no. Colorful playsets that let them stack, roll and attach items together will help. Anything that has a lot of knobs, buttons, levers or pieces to put in and take out of other pieces helps them to also develop a sense of spatial relationship, and see how things fit together in relation to other things.
Social games are very important, as toddlers are starting to become aware of the worlds around them and of themselves s individuals. Simple games of make-believe or interactive playsets, like dollhouses, help toddlers learn manners, cooperation, sharing and patience. Playing dress-up, using a tea set, playing school…any and all opportunities for make-believe present an opportunity for your toddler to boost their creativity, learn to get along with others, and develop problem solving skills.
Toddlers are very interested in symbols, numbers and letters. They like short stories or poems (and will want to hear them over and over) that have definite rhythms or repeat the same words over and over. This helps them develop their memory and their language skills. They also tend to read through pictures as well, so choose books with lots of colorful images and easy to turn pages. Encourage them to talk about the pictures and what they mean. Matching games, with large pictures, letters or numbers will keep them busy and having fun while they’re learning.
Really anything, even common household items, can be considered educational toys for toddlers. An old cardboard box becomes a boat, a castle, or a rocketship. Toddlers are constantly soaking up information from the world around them, and it is easy to fill that world with educational, fun toys, games, stories and items that help them learn, laugh and grow.