If you are currently wondering what to buy your toddler or pre-schooler for Christmas, this might be an interesting report to take note of.
Because while we are being bombarded left, right and centre about the benefits of high-tech toys, and how much these can teach our kids, it seems a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics beg to differ.
In fact, the AAP’s new report, Selecting Appropriate Toys for Young Children in the Digital Era, suggests parents pass over overstimulating light and sound toys, digital devices and apps and choose old-school items like blocks or dolls instead.
Yup, you read that right – skip the gadgets and gizmos for good, aul‘ fashion toys such as building blocks and baby dolls. Why? Because these often encourages your child to use his or her imagination, and will also serve as a great way for parents to get involved in their kids’ games or world of make-believe.
The AAP stresses that high-quality toys don’t have to come with a high price tag, and that the best toys are the ones that are developmentally appropriate and encourage kids and parents to play together. They’re worried that in recent years parents have come to see flashy toys and apps as necessary for child development, when they are not and can actually be disruptive to the parent-child relationship.
“While it’s easy to fall victim to the marketing, you are your child’s best teacher,” the AAP notes.
So put down the iPad, guys – here are three things to buy instead:
1 Toys that work on building motor skills
Old-school basics like wooden blocks, shapes, puzzzles and trains help children with fine-motor skills, as well as language and math skills. They can also grow with our children, the report’s authors note.
“For example, an 18-month-old child might try to use blocks functionally (eg, stack them), whereas a 2-year-old might use the same blocks to engage in sophisticated symbolic play (eg, by feeding the doll with a block that represents a bottle) or use the same blocks to construct a bridge, demonstrating the development of spatial awareness.”
2. Toys that encourage imaginative play and make-belief
Dolls, action figures, and toy animals spark imaginative play and help kids learn to tell stories and put words to feelings. The same goes for toy objects, like fake food or little cars. These symbolic toys don’t have to do anything fancy, because they invite children to create their own action.
“Such imaginative play ultimately facilitates language development, self-regulation, symbolic thinking, and social-emotional development,” according to the AAP.
3. Art supplies
Paint, paper, colors and glue foster creativity andmotor skills. The AAP considers art supplies a “high quality” toy, but says they don’t need to be expensive. In fact, in some cases they don’t even have to cost much at all. A cardboard box can be an art supply if you want it to be.
(Feature image via Zara.com)
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