Tips for Buying Educational Toys for Children

Parents know their child much better than anyone else. So, it’s very complicated for us to recommend toys for children that are highly specific as far as age is concerned. The age groups that are mentioned on the toy packages are a general affair to a large extent. Every child is different and a child may be well advanced than other children in say mathematics even in a small age. Such a child may require complex building toys and the toys that require advanced motor skills. The child may be like other children as far as reading and writing is concerned. There may be children who study textbooks at school but may not comprehend the tots like Lego kits.

If you are not that sure about your child’s development and don’t have comprehension about his specific needs, the age groups mentioned on the toys should be followed by you. At least, something is better than nothing. Also, you should have a complete understanding of the philosophy and technicalities that go in defining those age groups. Then you will be able to find toys that are an exact match for your child’s abilities. Some points mentioned below according to age group, should be kept in mind while buying educational toys for your children.

Toys up to 12 months

If your child is an infant, you must only choose those toys that come in the 0-12 month category. These are actually very safe and don’t pose any kind of danger to your tender baby.

For 2 to 4 years

For slightly grown up children you should choose those toy packages that bear 1-2 year label. In the 3-4 year range the toys are still very simple because your child is still learning to develop his basic motor skills. At this stage if you give him toys like The Great Gatsby, you are at an error. Your child is still dealing with his physical development and toys involving other skills like reading, writing and arithmetic are meant for a later stage.

Age of 5 to 7 years

In the 5-7 year category, things get a lot more complicated. Some children can even read their textbooks while others have not yet mastered the alphabet. So, you should think about getting your child those toys that have numbered or lettered buttons. After 8, you should not go by the age labels on the toy packages but should try to judge your child’s ability on your own and then buy suitable toys for him. Whenever you go to buy educational toys for your child keep one thing in mind. You have to get something challenging for your child. For example, if your child can easily play with the Duplo blocks, get him the Lego or the Mega blocks. If you keep on repeating old and similar toys, your child may get bored and may not learn anything worthwhile from the toys.

Additional Point

Activity books can be used for the children for the 3-4 and 5-7 age group category. Your child may not be good at reading at the age of three but these kinds of books have ample colored illustrations that your child can learn from. Moreover, these toys are electronically interactive and so provide a lot for children of almost every age group.