All work and no play make Johnny a dull boy. This is especially true in the life of a child. Playing may seem to be an ordinary part of a child's day, but beneath its simplicity is the vital role that it plays in the overall growth and development of an individual that helps to shape the various aspects of one's personality, including the physical, social, and emotional areas. During the infancy stage, toys serve as educational materials to stimulate the child's sense of sight, hearing, and touch. Colorful toys help children to differentiate between objects, especially during the sixth to the seventh months. Strong colors can entice babies to take hold of the toy, which can also take part in the development of the eye-hand coordination. White, black, and red are said to be the first noticeable colors in the eyes of babies and infants, so they can be used to catch their attention and interest them to play and learn. The early childhood years are characterized by inquisitiveness. Once the spoken language skills are developed, the child will begin to ask endless questions about almost everything. It also involves the maturation of the different parts of the body which contribute to the development of the motor skills. Puzzles, building blocks, and other construction toys together with dolls and stuffed toys, reading and coloring books, and arts and crafts materials are of great help for this stage to spark children's imagination, creativity, and logical reasoning abilities. Educational toys during the school age stages are used together with other children for social development as young learners interact with each other. Common educational toys involved during this stage are board games, balls, skipping ropes, playing cards and many other types of toys that involve the participation of other children. Children's educational toys come from varied sources. They come not only from local stores and markets, but also from the Internet, so anyone can have easy access to the type of toys that they want for their children. Let the children savor the pleasure of being a child, have the freedom to play, have fun, and enjoy life! |
