Recently I was having a discussion with some parents that are part of a photography meetup group I joined. We were discussing the value of learning toys. Do they add value and help babies and toddlers hit their learning milestones. One of the parents’ related a story about what a challenge it had been to potty train her son. She mentioned having listened to friends tell her how easy it was for them or how kids learn when their ready. Frustrated, she turned to the DVD “Him Once Upon a Potty,” available at Babies “R” Us She said the repetition of watching the video along with the catchy tune helped her son get potty trained quickly. Another parent raved about the Baby Einstein Activity Gym. She said her five month old is captivated by the lights, sounds, and bright colors. The baby smiles with joy every time he gets to play with it. These parent’s certainly see the value in toys that help ease a child into their next growing stage or that visibly bring them joy.
I took some time and explored some resources also available at Babies “R” Us. They provide a lot of information including buying guides and advice about age-appropriate toys. They highlight that the first year of an infant’s life is full of different developmental stages and that it is important to choose toys that will stimulate a child’s interest. This information provides support that there is value in providing your child with learning toys. For example, an infant who is 0-3 months old would enjoy playing with a toy that are colorful and have engaging sounds to peak their visual and auditory senses. A child who is 18-24 months would enjoy a toy such as kitchen set or instrument, because they want to be able to explore things on their own and this can also help them imitate others.
It’s apparent that the use of learning toys adds value to helping a child develop. It’s a good idea to learn about how a child develops so you can provide them with the proper learning toy to stimulate their senses.
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