Toys for Toddlers

It is very important to buy toys for toddlers. As a toddler, toys form an essential part of your child's life. There are many different toys for toddlers in today's market that you can choose from according to your toddler's age.

Importance of Toys for Toddlers

• Toys provide your toddler the pleasure of playing.
• Toys can help in developing your toddler's cognitive and motor skills.
• Toys can make teaching your toddler a memorable experience.
• Toys play a wide role in your toddler's social and emotional development.
• Toys enhance the toddler's imagination and creative skills.

Classification of Toys for Toddlers

On a broad level, toys for toddlers can be classified into the following categories:

• Pretend and Play Toys - These toys develop communication, expression, sharing and imagination skills in your toddler.
• Arts and Crafts Toys - These toys develop muscle coordination in your toddler.
• Educational Games and Construction Toys - These toys develop creativity, construction and self-confidence skills in your toddler.
• Electronic Toys - These toys help your toddler in understanding technology advances in the world around him.

Step into a toy shop and you will find yourself baffled by the available toys for toddlers.

Ideas for Toys for Toddlers

• Dolls that your little one enjoys carrying with her all the time. It is a good idea to buy ones that can be washed as your toddler may suddenly decide to give her doll a bath when she is having one!
• Cars, trucks, buses and other vehicles can fascinate your little one and enhance his world of exploration.
• Soft toys based on your toddler's favourite characters are a great choice.
• Books with large pictures that your toddler enjoys flipping through again and again.
• Craft materials such as poster paints, finger paints, water colours, colouring books, crayons and modeling clay in different colours develop his motor skills. Older toddlers can begin to use child-safe scissors.
• Simple jigsaw puzzles of four to five pieces enhance the toddler's cognitive skills.
• Large and colourful building blocks make an interesting game for your toddler.
• Blocks with alphabets or numbers are a good idea to help your child with the learning process. You can also get him magnetic letters.
• A tricycle is a good way of increasing your toddler's skills if she is big enough to ride one.
• Pretty toy telephones and radios are available that help to encourage interaction skills in your toddler.
• Blocks of different shapes, sizes and colours can be used to help your toddler identify different shapes and colours.
• Toys that can be stacked one on top of the other are a good gift.
• Balls are a great gift for you to throw to your toddler and make her catch them.
• Fix it kits are often liked very much by toddlers as it gives them a grown up feeling.
• Musical instruments and pop up books can arouse your toddler's interests.

Video on Choosing Toys for Kids

Toys to Avoid for Toddlers

Although most toys for toddlers can be beneficial to them, certain toys can cause harm if not chosen according to your toddler's age. It is best to avoid buying such toys in the earlier stages. You must avoid the following kinds of toys for toddlers:

• Toys with small, removable and loose parts such as dolls with removable shoes and accessories, soft toys with button eyes and nose etc.
• Toys with long and flexible strings that can strangle your toddler. You can consider toys with strings made of stiff plastic or trimming the extra length of the string before you give the toy to your toddler. Keep audio cassettes out of reach as she may enjoy unwinding them.
• Do not give her toys with springs, hinges, stickers and sharp or pointed edges.
• Do not give her toys that make a loud noise as they can be too harsh on her delicate ear.
• If you are giving your toddler battery operated toys, make sure that she has no access to the battery.
• Avoid very soft toys as this can tempt your toddler to chew them.
• Do not get her board games with small pieces such as dice.

Do not worry if your toddler does not play with the toys as you expect her to or as shown in the illustration. Your toddler enjoys exploring different ways and learns by practice. So, go ahead and make learning both play and fun for him.