Toys are more than just expensive playthings that children obsess (and cry) over. They are, in fact heavily influential in how a child is able to develop. Many of life’s earliest lessons can be learned during playtime and they are all carried on throughout an individual’s life.
All you really have to do is to look at how the younger Millennials, who still got to play the way that children have always done before technology made the outdoors less appealing, and the virtual world that much more fun. Children these days simply have fun differently than how we used to.
However, toys fill a role much more important than we care to perceive them to have. There have been many studies and articles that illustrate how toys are able to influence how a child grows and slowly begins to make sense of the world. After all, our personalities are formed during the formative years of childhood, and apart from the influence of parents, children take after what they learn during play time. So, how exactly do toys facilitate child development?
Enhanced Visual-Motor Coordination
While one can simply look at a baby shaking a rattle as “cute”, there is actually programming that is happening when the baby learns to grasp and to shake the rattle. These are vital movements that they need to master because these are movements that they are going to use throughout life.
Establishing a link between the eyes and hands is incredibly important, as while it is considered a basic skill, if nurtured correctly, it can become extremely useful in sports.
The Beauty of Building
There is a hidden joy in being able to build something or, as is the case for these remote control boats for kids, being able to assemble something properly. This encourages children to solve problems and to follow instructions well. Most jobs require a level of critical thinking and this is a great way to start your children on it.
The Value of Taking Care of Something You Built
We learn to value things more when we take on an active responsibility for them. The same is true for children who, when given a sense of ownership and responsibility, learn the value of caring for the little treasures they have. They become appreciative of their things and that is a trait that helps one perceive the world and the people in it with a positive attitude.
A Lesson In Hard Work
Success is built on hard work. It is the result of the accumulation of all previous efforts made to that effect. The same can be likened to how one painstakingly pieces together a scale model from a hundred tiny parts to create a functional whole.
It is in doing things right and in committing completely to a task that we are able to meet goals. And well, what is success if not the trait of being able to meet goals on a consistent basis?