Top 7 Reasons Educational Toys Are a Great Investment

Multiple studies have shown the positive effects of play in a child’s education and development. More than making sure that they’re able to release all that pent-up energy in their little bodies, play can also help improve a child’s coordination, creativity, problem-solving skills, and many more. As a wise man once said, “Play is the highest form of research.” 

There are more things that parents should think about besides saving up for their children’s college. In this article, we take a look at the top 7 reasons why parents should invest in educational toys for their kids. Scroll on to learn more. 

Boost creativity

Toys are more than just a fun contraption that kids can tinker and fiddle with. Studies show that toys can be an excellent tool to encourage imagination and creativity in your little one. Whether children use these toys in a classroom or at home, they can undoubtedly gain a ton of benefits from the activity.

Just make sure to buy your toys from a reliable manufacturer or retail store. Reports of children suffering from Buckyballs magnet toy injuries have been seen in the past. Buckyballs can cause severe symptoms such as blood poisoning, intestinal blockages, and even death in small children. Parents are advised to practice extreme caution when buying their children educational toys. 

Improve social and emotional intelligence

Another reason why parents should invest in educational toys for their children is to develop their social and emotional intelligence. Toys and play provide children with a safe way to explore their feelings and imagination.

Such things as playing house, doctor, cook, or firefighter can significantly help your little one understand the way things around him operate. 

Children can also explore different ways to understand and express their emotions through play. They can experiment with different scenarios and assign appropriate emotions to each situation. Parents can guide their children during this process — just be careful not to overwhelm your child. 

Increase concentration

Possessing the ability to concentrate on a single task for a consistent period can be enormously advantageous to children, especially once they get older. People nowadays don’t have the patience to withstand specific time-consuming tasks.

This can prevent them from discovering new things or achieving new goals. It’s best to start focus-training your child as early as possible to help them secure a successful future. 

Playing with toys that pique your child’s interest can teach them to be patient and focused. It will also encourage them to do things at their own pace, one step at a time. 

Promote problem-solving skills

Toys can help children develop exceptional problem-solving skills, which is yet another reason why educational toys are must-haves for your child.

Educational toys are popular tools to boost your child’s IQ level by improving memory, retention, coordination, and literacy. Kids who learn from playing with toys and play challenge their minds to adapt to new and different situations. 

A few good examples of games that can help your child develop impeccable problem-solving skills are puzzle games and board games.

Enhance motor skills

One of the many major applications of educational toys for children is to help with sensory-motor skills development.

Exposing your child to different types of textures, colors, and sounds can help enhance their senses. Crafty activities such as drawing and stacking blocks can help strengthen your little one.  

Makes learning a fun experience

While most normal toys provide children with entertainment, educational toys add more value by helping children learn valuable life lessons and skills.

When you make the learning process fun, children are more likely to retain what they learn. Furthermore, it will encourage them to keep doing what they started.

Encourage interaction

Children like to involve other people while in play, which can help them develop better social skills.

Playing together with parents, siblings, and friends can help encourage your child’s imagination.

It can also help him develop healthy self-esteem and confidence. In this situation, remember to let your little one take the lead in whatever scenario you’re playing. Don’t overshadow their ideas with your own. 

What is considered “educational” toys?

Educational toys are designed to help stimulate a child’s senses and promote better learning.

They may look similar to some toys made for entertainment, but the core purpose of educational toys is to teach children how things around them work.

Looks may vary between educational toys; however, they typically look like miniature versions of complex concepts that adults use every day, e.g., building blocks, a cash register, counting blocks, etc. 

Common types of educational toys

There are other toys besides the typical puzzle and board games you see in toy stores. Below are a few of the most common educational toys that parents should totally invest in for their kids:

Activity toys

This type of toy can be played either outdoors or indoors and is explicitly designed to encourage children to complete a specific project or task one at a time.

Activity toys help boost focus and concentration. They also aid in developing problem-solving skills. 

Stuffed animal toys

There’s more to stuffed animals than just being a cozy item to cuddle at bedtime. These toys can also help children identify different animal species and their characteristics.

There are even toys that mimic the sound that a particular animal makes. As always, it’s important to practice great caution when buying children’s toys.

Avoid toys that have buttons or other small parts that can accidentally be swallowed by your little one. 

Dolls

Toys are a great way to teach children social and emotional skills. Dolls are representations of different types of people, with different characteristics.

Children can assign them certain traits and attitudes during play, which can help kids understand certain concepts of life much more easily.