In an age of iPads, video games, and other technology competing for children’s interests, it can often be difficult for parents to encourage imaginative play for their children. Not only do fewer kids want to go outside, but they’re also sometimes less willing to play with educational toys and games.
That doesn’t necessarily mean that video and computer games don’t have some importance. After all, kids’s brains reach about 90% of their adult weight by the age of eight and continue to grow until kids are 18. But kids also need time away from the screen in order to interact with their friends, siblings, and parents. Parents who want their children to have some free play should think about which creative toys for children their kids would appreciate most.
Why do creative toys for children help kids learn and play? Here are some of the benefits of this type of play.
- Construction toys help kids get used to problem solving. For three- to six-year-olds, construction toys are a must. These include blocks, puzzles, and items that snap together, along with magnetic building toys that kids can make structures with.
- Children’s brains are still developing. As mentioned above, children’s brains are still growing even up until age 18. However, getting used to playing and solving problems is a great way to learn before the age of eight. Kids who are playing in a stimulating environment have a 25% better chance for learning.
- Creative toys for children can promote a life-long love of learning. Children who play with blocks and puzzles not only start learning early — that early education also fosters a love of education for the future. About 60% of people who wound up in design fields, like art or architecture, loved playing with blocks as kids. Additionally, 66% of adults who work in accounting or other math-related fields liked puzzles as children.
How do you help your children learn? Do they use magnetic construction sets or other building toys? Tell us how your children learn and play in the comments. Get more on this here. Read more here.
