Choosing the right toys are not to be taken seriously since they are the tools of the trade and not just for fun and games. Here are some useful tips on how to choose age-appropriate toys for your pre-schooler that can help him with social and emotional capabilities as well as stimulating his developing brain.
How pre-schoolers play
Babies discover objects with their five senses, whereas toddlers start figuring out how they actually work. Pre-schoolers use objects and toys for an intended goal while imagining a world of more possibilities for them. For instance, a blanket over the coffee table becomes the secret headquarters of the squad. Modeling clay can be used for making cookies and having you “taste” it. For pre-schoolers, their environment becomes a magical place without boundaries where they are the creators and masters of it all. Many kids of this age think that they are superheroes with magical powers or other whimsical creatures. It often happens that your pre-schooler will involve you in his fantasy and expect you to play along. It is also during this time that your child’s imaginary friend may present itself. Fantasy play is a crucial stage in a child’s development years since it helps them with working through their anxieties, fears, hopes, and dreams. For them, the world is a stage, and as they learn every new trick, they’ll be seeking your support and approval for recent accomplishments. Their desire to connect will start extending towards friends since pre-schoolers starts to learn the concept of cooperative play and sharing. Pretend play starts to evolve, and they start learning how electronic gadgets work. They also start playing more physical by skipping, hopping, and jumping instead of just walking.
Smart Age-Appropriate Toys For Pre-Schoolers
Arts and crafts
As their fine motor skills start enhancing, activities like drawing pictures of their families, holding a crayon or holding a pair of scissors, encourage creativity, strengthen coordination, and foster self-esteem. The Mr Toys range includes various types of toys for kids of all ages.
Puzzles
Jigsaw puzzles can advance dexterity, coordination, and teach children about spatial relationships and logical thinking.
Construction Sets And Blocks
Building a tower and working out how to prevent it from toppling over encourages hand-eye coordination as well as problem-solving skills. Pre-schoolers use their creativity and imaginations to create animals, building, vehicles and
What Are The Criteria For Choosing A Good Toy?
A good toy is typically one that provides fun and is suitable for his developmental needs, personality, and age. It also has one or more of these qualities:
Motivates Active Play – kids want to push, dissect, build, or pull something with a toy. If a toy does everything, it starts losing its appeal very quickly. This I why kids so often destroy mechanical toys.
Being Well-Made And Sturdy – shoddy toys can end up frustrating them and encourage them to destroy instead of creating.
Lending Itself To More Than Just One Use – toys who have multiple functions builds imagination and creativity.
Challenging But Not Frustrating – a toy must be just on the margin of your child’s growing abilities.
