There are a lot of things to consider when buying your children new toys. Of course safety should be first and, for most of us, price is a big factor. But what about toys that help them develop? Whether it’s physically or mentally, play is a great way to lay the foundation for skills that are important later in life. Of course there are educational toys on the market and many of them are great. But I want to focus on the toys that kids want and how they can be beneficial.
RC vehicles
Surprisingly simple or amazingly complicated, radio controlled cars can be a great tool for developing special awareness and abstract thought in regards to hand eye coordination. It’s not hard wired into us to equate the movement of our thumbs and fingers to the movement of an independent object. Starting them early on this kind of thing will help when they start driving and in general with their special awareness.
As they get older repairing and maintaining radio controlled trucks will be great primer for technical skills. Not every kids is going to grow up to be a mechanic but basic knowledge of how motors work and electrical safety will serve them for years to come.
Video games
Though it is a hotly debated subject, video games are a great tool for education. I am not suggesting you get your toddler a gory and violent video game. There are lot of games out there that are fast paced and kid friendly that will help refine their reaction time and their problem solving skills. Much in the same way as RC cars, abstract special awareness is fine tuned in this way and it’s getting to be a more and more important skill in this world. There are some amazing puzzle games out there that will help develop problem solving skills too.
There’s a lot to consider when choosing new toys but make sure to look at the benefits that these kinds of toys can provide, even though they aren’t labeled as educational.
