Children learn through toys and play about colors, shapes, sounds, and numbers. It helps them develop their eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity, helping them later on to compare their experience and use their imagination to talk.



It is difficult to judge a toy for its effectiveness in teaching children and some toys that look helpful in their boxes lose their potential when they are taken out.

Nevertheless, learning how to recognize the play value of a toy is a skill that can be acquired over time. One thing to understand is that the child should be given a toy geared towards his or her age group, as it is not sensible to think that advanced toys would help the child's learning to grow faster.

- Toys should not promote a single thought or concept; instead, they should promote creativity and thinking skills. Toys based on a single concept, such as a math toy normally is not played with and it is better to roll the dice and let the child add the numbers towards a certain goal as it is fun as well as educational.

- Toys should cater to individual developmental skills such as miniature replicas of household products for toddlers to gain an understanding of how things function.

- Toys that can be played in a number of ways serve as great educational tools. For example, blocks will never disappear simply because they provide the toddler understandings of gravity by helping them build and knock down towers, while enhancing creativity in older children who build castles out of them to create their own worlds.

- Toys should be checked for durability and safety before being bought. Durability is extremely important so that the toy is played with and remains helpful in developmental skills.

- Children tend to clamor for the latest toys that might not serve any educational purpose, like trend figures that can be played only in their specific roles and cannot be expanded towards thinking that is more creative. Instead of breaking your child's heart by not buying them their favorite action figure, it is better to buy them a jigsaw of the figure or playing cards, games, and books too.

- A toy is good if it is fun for the child to play with. Buying toys that can be played in a number of ways would be a wise decision to invest in as they would be played with for a long period of time and would give the maximum learning experience to the child.

The basic principles of toy selection include the following:

- Suitable Design: For the correct age group with the best concept, colors, and materials, with concise and crystal clear instructions.

- Quality: The quality of workmanship and relation of materials used with colors and shapes define it.

- Durability: It is of the utmost importance as children can break even the best of the toys.

- Safety: Protection is vital for the children from toys with splintered edges, flammability, and the use of toxic materials.

- Educational: By providing instructions so that the parents can explain the use of the toy to the child in simple terms.

- Creative: To help the child develop their imagination, you must be able to use the toy in alternate ways by creating new games, and play with it.

- Cost: It should be another factor that should be considered since similar toys may have a major cost difference.

- Play Value: So that the toys are long lasting and the child enjoys playing with it for as long as possible, each time giving the child newer developmental skills and encouraging the child to play again and again with newer insights into the way things work.

- Quality vs. Quantity: Too many toys could overwhelm the child and hamper the child's creative development, as the child may not be able to concentrate on a single toy for long enough, hence rendering the toys useless. The whole purpose of giving the child a toy is to develop the creative thinking and skills and not give the idea that more toys mean more happiness.

Following the above guidelines would ensure the promotion of the purpose of learning through play by helping your child's developmental skills to improve with time no matter what age your child is.