Trendy toys come and go, but some tried and tested toys have remained, and these toys share common characteristics. They are open-ended, they encourage interaction, and they stimulate kids’ imagination. Open-ended toys offer more than one way to play with them, while toys that promote interaction encourage conversation and collaboration. The best toys are the ones that meet their interests and encourage imaginative play. Check out these other types of toys that are good for kids.
Dolls and stuffed animals
Stuffed toys and dolls are not just for cuddling. They are the first toys that encourage pretend playing. Your child might pretend to feed their doll or teddy bear or put a blanket over them to sleep. Girls like having tea parties with them or creating their houses using old boxes.
Puppets
Kids love to play with puppets, as they are free to move their mouths or arms and make them come to life. They can put on shows with playmates or even make themselves DIY puppets using socks. Paper puppets are also great because they encourage interaction with siblings and friends.
Blocks
Lego is a classic toy that most kids love. Blocks are nice to have because they are open-ended. They can be made into towers, vehicles or anything that pleases the imagination of a child. It stimulates creativity and imagination, which is good for their development because there is no limit as to what they can create. There are Lego sets designed to form a specific design, but a kit of freestyle Lego blocks that freely encourage creating different things is better.
Play-dough
For children, manipulating things is fun because they can create what they imagine. Play-dough offers a sensory experience that develops fine motor skills that can be relaxing in times of stress. You don’t even need expensive play-dough with fancy accessories. In this regard, you can join kids while playing and teach them to create some food items with the play-dough to feed to the stuffed animal or doll or to build a tunnel for the toy vehicles to pass through. Ideas for play-dough can be easily found online for your reference.
Dress up clothes
Dress up clothes do not necessarily mean expensive costumes from stores. You can spark creativity by helping your kid create costumes out of old items in your house, which is also a good bonding activity with them. Collect your hats, shirts, accessories, ties, old purses and help your child transform into who they want to be for a day.
When deciding which toys to give your child, follow their lead. Generally, toys that encourage them to think and imagine are ideal, rather than those with buttons to press and some close-ended toys. Pretend play items are also good because they are connected with language. They are also a good way to encourage new words or help children interact with others. It helps if parents get involved with their child’s playtime by introducing ideas, choosing the right toys for a pound and exposing them to new experiences.
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