Playing with toys is one of the most important activities for kids’ cognitive development, as they nurture imagination and creativity and develop motor skills. The toys are tools that help kids engage in fun activities, learn about the surrounding world, and explore through all their senses ―watching, smelling, hearing, tasting, and touching.

While toys weren’t as developed in the past decades, companies are now designing unique and multifunctional toys that serve certain purposes and specific learning stages so kids can benefit from complete playtime. Playing makes kids experience difficulties that require problem-solving skills and encourages them to share from an early age, promoting mutual respect and consideration.

Therefore, if you want to help your kid evolve without straining their mental capabilities, here are the best types of toys by stage.

Introduce young infants to the world

From birth and up to the first six months of their lives, you need to present your kid with auditive and visual materials so they can start learning about their surroundings. For example, you can play them some music (lullabies or calm songs) to listen to, as well as place pictures of people, animals, and objects, as they’ll start forming memories soon after nine months.

However, it’s most important to offer them things they can explore with their hands and mouths, as these are the only ways through which they learn at this age. Soft dolls, teething toys, and squeeze toys are great for them to shake, suck on and hold. Plushies are also great, so you could start sharing if you’ve already had some vinyl figures from Funko.

Help older infants move

From six months up to the first year, kids start moving around and testing the things in the house. Considering they might begin recognizing names and finding hidden objects, you must get more creative with the toys and playtime.

Hence, they might need baby dolls or puppets to play pretend with since they perceive them as sentient. At the same time, offering them plastic bowls or nesting toys will help them learn how to drop and take out. Large soft blocks are necessary to start building, while push-and-pull toys can benefit muscle growth during playtime.

Experiment along one-year-olds

Reaching one year old is a big thing. This is the time when kids have a better understanding of the places and people around them, so they wish to experiment. They start walking, climbing the stairs, and saying their first words, so you need to up your toy game.

Therefore, you may start getting them crayons or washable markers to draw on large paper, as well as show them simple illustrations or photos for inspiration. They’ll also be able to play pretend better, so you should get them toys that mimic your objects, such as a toy phone, dolls with beds, dress-up clothes, and more realistic vehicles. Finally, improving toys that will help increase muscle structure, such as puzzles, large balls, and pegboards.

Take control of surroundings along with two-year-olds

Once children reach the two-year period, they begin a new life as toddlers. From now on, kids will form a sense of danger but still venture around jumping, climbing, and rolling, and their cognitive capacities also expand.

You should continue providing them with things to create with, from crayons to paper, but can supplement them with appropriate scissors, chalk, and large paintbrushes. Construction sets, dolls with accessories, and picture books are still beneficial. What’s different now is that you can buy them more complex toys for solving problems, such as puzzles, blocks, sorting games, and anything that has buckles and snaps.

Conquer the world from three to six years old

Reaching three years of age will open the world of possibilities to kids as they start interacting with others, understand more things, and say a lot of words, making sure you hear all of them. Be prepared for a lot of energy in the coming years, especially in the following three years, when they’ll be aware of things and feelings and start being independent.

Therefore, supporting their thirst for knowledge and exploration will require the following types of toys:

• Puzzles with more than 20 pieces, collections of objects of different shapes and sizes;
• Blocks for building complex structures and water play toys;
• Modeling clay, keyboards, and colored construction paper;
• Interactive computer programs;
• Different types of music and detailed pictures from kids’ books;

Mind safety when letting kids play with toys

As fun and helpful as they are, the risks of letting kids play alone with toys that are not adequate for their age or stage development expose them to dangerous occurrences, such as choking or hurting themselves.

Always buy toys according to age recommendations, especially when the kids have not yet reached the age of three when they can be more careful during playtime. Make sure the products cannot pose choking hazards through detachable components or beads. Always inspect sharp edges or points as well and look out for broken pieces before purchase because they can become dangerous right at the most unexpected times. Finally, ensure they are not left unsupervised when playing with toys with strings, cords, or ribbons.

It’s always best to choose qualitative toys that are durable and made from non-toxic materials. Most of the time, you’ll find a label with “BPA-free” or “phthalate-free” requirements that assure you the products were made in accordance with specific standards and chemical regulations. Reputable toy companies might better respect safety standards, but you should always check every product before purchasing.

Are you ready to buy the best toys for your kid?

Kids’ learning stages are always accompanied by toys or playtime, which is why they’re so important in their adequate cognitive and physique development. Hence, you should choose appropriate toy products that fit every age and learning period because they can better support their experimentation with the world and understanding of their surroundings. Always practice safety and attention when choosing toys to avoid the dangers of kids getting injured.

John Mali Director of Media Relations

Director of Media Relations at AboutBoulder.com

john@aboutboulder.com