Providing toys for children not only helps children’s limbs be more flexible, but also stimulates the comprehensive development of the brain. Understanding that importance, if you are wondering about choosing a toy that is appropriate for your child’s age, do not ignore the information in the following article.
According to analysts, children often do not need novelty toys. Sometimes, just a few simple items like a pan and a spoon are just as exciting for a baby as expensive flashing toys. That is not to say that parents should not buy toys for their children, here are some notes for parents when choosing to buy them for their children.
4 criteria to choose safe children’s toys
Any toy which you buy for your child must be absolutely safe. Here are some tips for parents in choosing safe toys for their babies:
- Parents need to read the information carefully before buying to make sure they are appropriate for their child’s age
- You should check for sharp edges and loose parts, as these can cause injury to your baby
- Be careful with toys that pose a choking hazard. Those can be toys with many small details that are easy to get stuck in the baby’s windpipe
- Make sure the sound of the electronic toys is not too loud. Toys with too much sound intensity can harm your baby’s hearing.
How to choose toys for children that are appropriate for the age of the baby
1. Toys for babies and toddlers (6 – 24 months)
♦ For babies from 0-6 months’ old
At this stage, the toys for babies that parents need to buy are those that can stimulate the child’s senses such as sight, hearing and touch. Therefore, parents should choose foods with simple colors, sounds, and textures for their children’s senses to develop and be more sensitive.
As babies get older, around 4 months old, they can grasp objects and can realize they can influence things. You can let your baby play with rattles or toys that are easy to hold and shake. These items will bring joy to your baby. When your child shakes the toy, you should imitate his movements to increase interaction and the child loves this too.
When your baby starts to sit, it’s time for him to actually play with the toy. Including dishes Puzzle toys with different colors and shapes. What your child needs to do is stack wooden or plastic slats on top of each other based on their correct shape and size. This helps children use their hands fluently as well as improve cognitive skills. In addition, jigsaw puzzles also help children improve vision, support hand-eye coordination, and grasp the size and shape of objects. Besides, playing with toys also helps children know how to keep their body balanced when sitting.
♦ Toys for 1-year-old (toddler)
One-year-old is an important time for young children, because at this time, they can collect data, take small steps, wave hello, clap… At this stage, babies also develop cognitive abilities. and can distinguish things by color. At this time, in addition to playing with colorful blocks, toys that can be pulled or have buttons are also very useful for babies. Parents should choose toys for babies as simple as possible because they will help children do things on their own and stimulate their imagination more.
2. Young children (24 – 36 months)
♦ Children’s toys: Alphabets and numbers
The toddler stage is also when the baby is ready for learning. But if you teach your child to learn in the usual way, sometimes it is counterproductive because they are very dry, the possibility of your child refusing to receive knowledge is very high. Therefore, you should buy your baby a basic alphabet or numbers, then teach him to learn by holding the letter and showing him this is the letter A, the letter B… In this way, familiarization with your baby’s letters and numbers will become much more fun and easy.
If you want your child to be good at math, let him play with some sorting toys. This sorting activity will help develop your baby’s math skills from a very young age, as she can be exposed to math while she sorts toys. In addition, this toy also helps children recognize shapes, sizes and develop motor skills.
♦ Children’s toys: Musical toys
Let your child enter the world of music by giving your child a toy that plays songs related to the alphabet, colors or numbers, like the ABC song. Music will help stimulate your baby’s language, hearing and sense of rhythm. Moreover, musical toys also help stimulate the baby’s senses so that they can both learn and have fun.
3. Preschool children (over 36 months)
♦ Role Playing Toys
Kindergarten children often have rich imaginations, so role-playing toys such as doctor’s tools, carpentry tools, kitchen utensils… are very suitable for children. Your baby will tend to imitate the actions and deeds of those he has come in contact with and describe them as closely as possible. This will help children improve their observation and understanding of different professions. In addition, role-playing toys also help develop imagination and creativity, so that children also become more open and confident.
In addition to the above toys, one of the toys you should not ignore to help your baby develop comprehensively is books. Choose books that are appropriate for your child’s age, such as interactive books, they will be the basis for your baby’s brain development.
Besides, you should know that young children love to interact with others. You can talk to your kid, sing songs, read books and go for a walk. Just moments of fun with your baby can do wonders to develop your baby’s emotional, cognitive and social skills alongside the right toys.
Today, toys are intelligently designed so that children can learn while playing. However, there are many products with different quality on the market. Therefore, you need to choose carefully before buying toys for your baby.
