Trying to find the best toys for your children can be overwhelming. With changing toy trends and so many options available, it can be hard to know exactly where to start. Not only do the toys you pick need to be age-appropriate, but you want them to match their stages of development – different indoor and outdoor toys will benefit your kids in different ways.
Understanding this can help make toy shopping much easier! We’ll take you through just a few of the different types of toys out there.
Sensory toys
You might have guessed it, but sensory toys are all about helping to engage your kids’ senses – sight, smell, hearing, taste and touch. Sensory toys can include:
- Toys that light up or change colours (sight).
- Scented playdough and scratch-and-sniff stickers (smell).
- Musical instruments and rattles (hearing).
- Teething rings (taste).
- Plush toys or kinetic sand (touch).
Sensory toys and play can provide many benefits for your kids, from encouraging motor skill and language development. You can make custom photo puzzles for a unique way to teach them to think critically and solve problems, to helping relieve stress. While they can be beneficial to kids of all ages, they’re incredibly crucial during their first year when their senses are developing.
Multicultural Toys
Multicultural toys, such as Hindu god toys, provide children with a unique way to learn about different cultures. Not only do they encourage imaginative play and help to develop fine motor skills, but they are also educational, as they introduce children to Hindu gods and the religious stories associated with them. Hindu god toys are becoming increasingly popular amongst parents and educators who want to encourage children to explore different cultures. Additionally, these toys can help to foster an appreciation of cultural diversity and can provide children with a sense of belonging.
Cause-and-effect toys
Cause-and-effect toys help kids realise that taking an action or making a choice leads to something happening. The most obvious example is a jack-in-the-box, where you turn a crank until a clown pops out. There are many others, such as push-pull toys, bead mazes, shape sorters, hammering sets, and stacking rings sets.
These toys are great for helping children predict the outcome of their actions. Plus, they’ll help them develop some confidence through control and practice new skills.
Cause-and-effect toys are the perfect option for kids aged between 12 and 18 months, which is when they start getting a grasp on the concept.
Pretend play toys
Many parents are amazed at what’s inside their kids’ imagination. Often, they’re masters at playing pretend with very little props or costumes. However, one way to encourage them to get creative is with pretend play toys. These toys are great for allowing your kids to experience both real-life situations, like cooking and shopping, and make-believe, such as saving the world as their favourite superhero.
There are a range of scenarios for your littles ones to dive into with pretend play, from the supermarket to kitchen playsets. Costumes and accessories are also a great way to bring their favourite superhero or fictional characters to life.
Pretend play is a great way for your kids to develop their social skills, safely explore the world around them while also discovering what their interests are. It can also help teach your kids how to be creative, solve problems, and express their emotions.
You can generally start pretend play around the 18-month mark, with kids eventually growing out of it as they get older.
Building toys
Building toys will keep your children entertained for hours on end. There are a wide variety of toys out there to encourage your budding builder – from basic wooden blocks to construction sets and the more complex Lego kits. These all provide endless possibilities of towers, cities, cars and works of art that will keep little hands busy!
As well as helping them develop their imaginations and creativity, building toys can help with spatial awareness, motor skills and problem solving. Whether they’re playing solo or with a sibling, building toys encourage questions like, “How high can I make this before it falls?” and “How can I stop this from falling?” When their creation tumbles, they’ll use critical thinking to try and problem solve, making sure it doesn’t happen again!
Educational and hobby toys
Even from a young age, your child will develop their own interests and hobbies. Educational toys and those that cater to their interests are a great way to foster their hobbies.
Educational toys can enhance your kid’s learning at home in a more relaxed and fun environment. They can also build on problem-solving skills they’ve already developed, improve their concentration, and allow them to use their imaginations and think outside the box with educational board games like The Uzzle.
If your kids enjoy learning science at school, buy them a science kit to try out to explore further and these days you can get amazing Kids Party Favours too. If they love art, opt for craft kits so they can create a masterpiece in the comfort of their own home.
Now that you know the different types of toys that are out there and what benefits your kids can reap from them, you can keep them active, entertained, and having fun as they learn and grow over the years.
