A Head Start Through Play

Studies dating back as far as the early 1940s have shown that a child’s IQ can be increased by more than 50 points by using the proper stimulation techniques in the first six years of the child’s life.

A head start through play

A child’s early years – the first three in particular – are crucial to brain development. During this period a child’s brain triples in weight and establishes billions of nerve connections. By the age of three, in fact, kids have twice as many nerve connections as a lot of adults. That’s the reason why toddlers are very curious and inquisitive.

It’s also the reason why toddler toys are designed as they are: colourful, bright, loud, with many different textures, shapes, sizes, and are made of different materials. Every aspect of these toys is designed to stimulate and develop a child’s mind.

Years ago, toy manufacturers began making educational toys, which were intended to cover children right through from pre-school to high school. Children were, for the most part, confused by these toys and so their popularity was limited. However, as the years went by, the top educational toy makers started to make better use of research and technology, and have done an excellent job in creating quality educational toys and learning games, which are targeted to a child’s age group and skill level.

These days, with numerous technological advances and a vast range of media outlets, from video games, all-day TV channels, internet access and online entertainment, there’s no doubt that children have a shorter attention span and less ability to concentrate. This leads to children being easily distracted and bored. Educational and traditional toys can often help children to be more patient, increase their focus and concentration, improve their listening skills, filter out distractions, and enhance their memory.

An educational toy does not need to be an expensive item. Sometimes, when parents hear about brain development, they sometimes have the urge to run out and buy new books or toys. An educational toy can be something as simple as a puppet or matching shapes. These toys will all prompt a child to think, but, what can make such activities even more beneficial is when the parent is involved and takes the time to praise the child when he or she is successful.

The most important factor in selecting educational toys for your child is choosing a toy that is appropriate for your child’s age. When selecting a toy, begin by determining your child’s current developmental needs, both emotional and physical. Then, look for educational toys that are appropriate for your child’s stage of development. If, for example, your child is just beginning to learn to focus and grasp things with their hands, then you should go for a toy that develops hand-eye coordination. If, on the other hand, your child has reached toddler age, then toys that focus on stacking and pulling, dressing up and language basics will be more suitable.

By displaying books in your home, you are telling your children that you think books are important, valuable and necessary. Emphasise to your child that books and other reading materials are valuable to them. Show your child how answers to questions can be found by seeking information online, in books, newspapers, magazines etc.  These elements can help to create an environment where reading confidence can develop successfully.

Puzzles have long been a favourite educational toy for both mums and children. Not only can they help improve a child’s problem-solving and reasoning skills, but they can also teach them a variety of topics, such as the alphabet, numbers, colour recognition and shape recognition. Fine motor skills can also be improved; various types of puzzles can help teach little ones to pick up and grasp pieces, so hand/eye coordination is also enhanced.

Building blocks: a perennial favourite. Building blocks and bricks are colourful interlocking plastic bricks, which also come with a variety of accessories that can be assembled in many ways. Building blocks and bricks not only encourage the creative mind to construct various new objects, but the constantly changing building ideas are guaranteed to keep the kids interested.

Musical instruments are brilliant for nurturing emotional intelligence and imagination in children. Musical toys can help children to learn balance and harmony, and their creative minds can be stimulated with interesting melodies and artistic rhythms.

A children’s microscope is a very educational toy. By zooming into various surfaces, it helps children to explore new things in a new way and, even though it won’t provide the higher resolution of an actual microscope, children will be engrossed by what it does. Samples of soil, leaves, water are all fascinating things to put underneath the microscope; the rest is up to your imagination, so the list is endless!

Whichever educational toy you choose to go for, the main point is that education and brain development should never seem monotonous or boring to a child; the joy of learning is an extremely important aspect of brain development. Through educational play, children should be able to explore concepts and generate ideas, and it’s probably fair to say that they will only grasp maximum knowledge when they are enjoying what they are learning. Choosing the most suitable educational toys and games is the best way to combine education and entertainment.