Ways You Can Utilize Toys to Help Kids Learn

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The best way for children to learn is by doing, and one of the ways they can do this is through toys and games. Some toys will teach them to read, write, or speak a new language; others will help them make their bed or clean the house. With the suitable toy for the task at hand, anyone — even a small child — can become a master of something.

child stucking wooden blocks

You probably envision simple things like dolls or trucks when you think about toys. However, other types of toys can also help children learn new skills. For example, puzzles and building blocks are great ways to teach your child to focus and concentrate on a single activity. When your child has trouble sitting still for long periods of sitting through dinner without getting up, puzzles and building blocks can allow him to practice discipline in a fun way.

Here are a few ways to help your child learn when you get toys for your children:

  • Puzzles and building blocks help children practice motor skills like building, manipulating, and sorting by color or shape. Building blocks are perfect for children ages four and up.
child stucking wooden blocks
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels

Puzzles teach your child how to concentrate on one task at a time. Puzzles used in
schools are often done with plastic building blocks because they’re safe to manipulate
with small hands.

two children playing with wooden blocks
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Puzzles used at home can be constructed from wood, cloth, cardboard, or other materials suited to small hands.

children playing with wooden train track in a playroom
Photo by Yan Krukov from Pexels
  • Games help children practice balancing their decisiveness and thinking on their own. Your child learns that being a good partner in the game requires her to pay attention to herself and the other players.
toddler boy holding a soft ball on the field
Photo by Sides Imagery from Pexels
  • Mechanic toys allow children to use tools for learning. As your child grows older, she’ll learn how tools work by using them in various ways. For example, she may learn how to use a tool to unclog a drain pipe by cutting away molding and then unclogging the tube with a plunger.
girl sitting on the floor next to two toy trucks
Photo by Polesie Toys from Pexels
  • If you’re looking for other great toys for children, consider getting board games.

Board games can help your kids practice their social skills and develop language skills as they learn how to navigate the board and talk about what’s happening on the board.

child playing chess
Photo by Anastasia Shuraeva from Pexels

Board games can help children develop their fine and gross motor skills by using both hands, coordinating vision and hearing, and learning how to deal with conflict.

What are the things that toys bring to children?

  • Toy brings joy
smiling child playing with wooden cars
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
  • Toys bring interest
two children playing with toys made out of fabric
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels
  • Toy brings creativity
  • Toy teaches all about setting up and playing it
two girls playing with wooden food mixer
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
  • Toys are a great way to learn all kinds of things, from math to the 200-word vocabulary list.
a group of children sitting at a table playing board games
Photo by RODNAE Productions from Pexels
  • Toys keep children active
  • Toys teach children social skills
two girls sitting on a rug on the grass playing with toys made out of fabric
Photo by olia danilevich from Pexels
  • Toys allow children to learn from their mistakes without the fear of being punished.
  • Toy builds and develops skills
child playing with construction toys outdoors
Photo by Allan Mas from Pexels

What are the ways to utilize toys to help kids learn?

  • Teach children new skills with toys that build on their abilities and challenge them to work on something that’s slightly more difficult.
family of three playing with wooden blocks
Photo by Kampus Production from Pexels

Let them explore the intricacies of construction and have fun doing it. For example, a child can build a cup and put it on a shelf or a table. From there, she should be encouraged to create one cup at a time, make another cup and put it on the table.

In this way, children can learn how to set things up, support each other, and work together as a team. They’ll start realizing that teamwork is important in many situations. Children will also be able to improve their fine motor skills and sense of balance as they place the cups on the table in a row.

  • Play games with your children to help them become better readers and writers.

The children will begin to read the names of the games out loud and learn to spell them. If they’re playing a game that has a puzzle, they’ll be encouraged to read the word on the back of each piece and then put it into place.

Scrabble is an excellent game to play with children because it allows them to use their imagination and problem-solve.

The letters on the board are different colors, which children can learn by telling them what colors they are. It also helps them know how to read words on the board and make the letters they need to complete the term.

  • Tidy up toys once in a while so that they’re not in disrepair.
child holding wooden food on plastic plate
Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

Children will find it challenging to play with dirty or broken things and will negatively affect the toys if they’re not clean. Teach them to keep the toys neat and in good condition through their efforts.

  • Get your children nature-related toys like trees, rocks, lake creatures, etc.
kid-playing-with toy on stones of shore
Photo by Tatiana Syrikova from Pexels

It helps children determine the excitement they get from such exploration. They may know the differences in the looking of rocks or trees etc.

  • Get your children music-related toys like CDs and karaoke machines.

They will love to listen to their favorite songs and sing them along with the singers. They may also learn how to read music such as sheet music or chord charts, which will help them play an instrument in the future.

  • Buy toys that help your child develop fine motor skills and master small tasks like tying his shoes or tying a knot with yarn.

It is very relatable for him to learn how to tie his shoes or small tasks that he needs to do in the future like this.

  • Consider getting your child toys that will help him use his creativity, like building something on his own, painting a picture, or making something by using his mind and the materials he has around him.
  • Try to buy toys that help your children form friendships with others by playing games together.
girl in red dress playing a wooden blocks
Photo by cottonbro from Pexels

Toys can help form friendships, which is why children must be taught the value of playing with others at a young age.

In conclusion, toys are a way of life and endless activity. You have to think of something different every time your child wants to play with some new toy, and your child will have fun enjoying it all the time.


Author bio

Andrea

I’m Andrea Gibbs. Born, raised, and still living in New York. I’m a work-at-home mom with a background in business development, strategy, and social media marketing. I’m a blog contributor at Montessori Academy to motivate and educate other parents about how they can get their children ahead of the game in school.

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  About Anastasia. Anastasia is a former Early Childhood Teacher and the founder of Montessori Nature, a blog about Montessori - inspired and Nature-based explorations. She taught in a Montessori setting for 10 years and has been practicing the Montessori way of learning and living for the last 20 years. She loves designing engaging educational printables for children. Browse Anastasia's educational resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.


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