It's easy to assume that toy shopping is all about fun, games, and evoking squeals of delight when children open their holiday gifts. But there's actually a lot more to it. Maria Montessori, the famous educator, is attributed with the quote "Play is the work of the child." In other words, toys do matter. Here's why they're so important to a child's development:
1. They teach skills. Sure, science kits and spelling, word, and math games incorporate specific learning into play, but the fact is there needn't be an obviously built-in academic lesson for a toy to be educational. For instance, there's lots of learning involved in construction toys (hand-eye coordination, spacial judgment), push-along and ride-on toys (gross motor skills), puzzles and shape sorters (fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination), and strategy games (planning and problem-solving skills). If your child is 8 or younger, try to give her the opportunity to play with many types of toys that promote a variety of skills. But as she gets older, select toys that support her emerging interests and talents.
2. They spark creativity. Open-ended toys — ones that involve no right and wrong answers or winning and losing — foster imagination, innovation, and storytelling. When preschoolers play school or house or doctor or chef (or any other of innumerable scenarios), they're mimicking the adults around them and developing important improvisation skills. Similar to when children build with blocks or paint or play with musical toys, they're visualizing and experimenting with possibilities and cultivating their inventiveness — important qualities later on in life when one needs to be resilient and problem solve in imaginative ways.
3. They promote sociability. Learning to follow rules, share with peers, and be patient while others have their turn are some of the many key life lessons kids learn when engaging in play. When children play games, they see how their friends approach and problem solve situations. (They also eventually figure out how to handle their competitive instincts when their friends win!) When they "cook" together using kitchen centers, they learn how to work collaboratively. You may think it's an exaggeration to say that playing with board games is preparation for adult life in the boardroom but, in truth, it's not that much of a stretch.
4. They boost language abilities. Kids who are spoken with a lot during childhood develop bigger vocabularies and better grammar. Nurturing your child's language development through play is a fun and easy way to encourage conversation. (But don't think it's a time to constantly correct your child's speech). Pretend play offers opportunities for your child to enhance his storytelling abilities and board games are a great time to model appropriate behavior ("It's my turn now. Then it will be your turn."). Plus, of course, as your child, expresses his thoughts and feelings, you'll get a peek into the inner workings of his mind and heart.
5. They boost self esteem. Lots of parents think the way to build a child's confidence is to tell her she's terrific. But children see through hollow compliments and don't internalize those positive statements. What does make them feel self-assured is to feel capable. Whether your child loves puzzles, word games, construction sets, video games or another type of toy, buy her ones with increasing levels of difficulty so that her competence becomes a source of pride.
This year the Good Housekeeping Institute vetted 233 toys and games to bring you the best of the best. Our lab experts evaluated them for quality and safety and our 160-plus kid testers played with them for hours to pick the ones that are most fun.
