Can You Imagine Your Childhood Spent without Toys(2020)? 10 Children's Educational Toys for Your Growing One Plus Suggestions to Keep in Mind as You Search for the Perfect Toy.

The word 'toy' flashes vivid and colourful memories of our sweet childhood days. Toys are an integral part of the life of each and every child. The development of a child can in part be attributed to the kind of play he or she indulges during childhood. The toy poses as a teacher to a child through recreation. A child introduced to a suitable toy at an early age, aids in their proper development of mind. Children exposed to their preferred toys enhance the interactive power with adults and also with children within their age group. Toys exhibit multiple effects like social, intellectual and physical development on a child. Thus parents and teachers are strongly responsible for selecting toys with care.

The use of toys is about 4500 years old which represented animals, babies, soldiers and even tools used by adults. The oldest toy was a yo-yo used in China during 1000 BC made from wood, terra-cotta and metal. The toys in olden times were designed and created at home. Commercialisation of toys became prevalent after the onset of the Industrial Revolution which led to the fabrication of toys like kaleidoscopes and magic-lanterns. Educational toys like puzzles were also available during this period. The toy industry flourished in the West during the post-World War era, flooding the markets with metal and plastic toys and some like the Lincoln Logs and Lego bricks became very popular.

The infants learn to know the world with their eyes and ears. Their auditory system should be externally stimulated through music, speech and sound. The cells in the eyes should also be stimulated using strong and contrast colours so that the additional ganglionic cells in the retina are retained.

The infants grow into a toddler and their curiosity transforms them into an explorer. They require toys capable of boosting their physical activity and motor skills. As they grow old, they start to interact with each other and learn to play in groups. These group activities initiate the development of cognitive skills and have positive influences on neurological ability.

Toys influence the thought process and creativity of a child and act as a medium for coordinating the children. A child engaged in an environment of active play exhibits strong communication skills.

The markets are swarming with a variety of toys for children and usually tricky for an individual to select the correct toy for kids.

Parents get confused to select the proper toy and end up collecting a particular piece. This should be avoided as some toys look interesting to the parents, but are not proper for the children.

Guardians should select the toy such that it holds the interest of the child without frustrating him or her and is an object of fun along with being educative. The toys should be of different colours, attractive, safe and make comfortable sound without being noisy.

Another notable point is toys can expose a child to a wide variety of experiences that help him or her expand horizons. So, guardians should be careful while opting for toys.

Quality is paramount, so you can go for either branded or unbranded toys.

Infants should be given toys like rattles for developing their auditory and visual senses, crib gyms for grasping and reaching, stuffed toys, soft dolls and large keys for increasing the coordination between their hand and eye. Toddlers should be exposed to push and pull toys, telephone and dolls which helps in the cognitive and social development, while the toy vehicles and rocking horse will help them to feel the real world. A pre-schooler should be given paints with large brushes, crayons and finger paint for tuning the motor control. Their problem-solving abilities can be increased by allowing them to solve simple puzzles. The understanding of real-life can be influenced by exposing them to musical instruments, make-believe games and outdoor games. The school going kids should be allowed to play with outdoor toys like skipping rope, bicycle, badminton, football which have a positive influence on the attention of the child.

Parents usually select a toy considering aspects like design, brand, colour and cost but ignore the most significant aspect- safety. Toys procured for infants and toddlers should not have plastic beads, gaps, fur or hair, small detachable parts, long strings, poor stitching, button batteries and balloons. The toys should be manufactured using non-toxic materials as children have a habit of biting the toys. Toy manufacturers in every country follow their rules and safety standards and label the toys accordingly. Parents should be aware and examine the label for symbols signifying fire safety, CE mark, kitemark, lion mark and age label. Parents should strictly follow the age label in toys to prevent any accidents associated with toys.

India is listed within the top 10 toy consumer in the world. Although India has many toy manufacturing companies, a large number of toys are imported from Korea, China, UK, the USA , Malaysia to name a few.

There are quite a few significant brands of marketing toys in India. Among the Indian toy company, you can go for brands like Funskool which deals in a wide range of toys for all age groups while MEGA Bloks deals with various types of puzzles and brain games.

Playmate is another Indian company manufacturing educational toys like Math-a-magic, Fun slider and WordPower, while Simba toy manufacturers toys like Chi Chi Love, Furlocks, Bear Family and Sponge Bob.

There are other international brands like Fischer Price, Hot Wheels dealing in a variety of metal toy cars, Barbie manufacturing dolls and toys for girls. Another Denmark based company is Lego, popular for manufacturing construction and educational toys.

The other two remarkable companies are Italian based Chicco, reputed for manufacturing toys based on scientific research, while another is Disney famous for producing toys for children of all ages.

Parents looking for toys especially babies and toddlers can opt for First Cry which deals in a wide range of quality toys for this age group.

There are a variety of educational toys which can be classified according to their function and value-based assets.

Toys are an integral part of the development of language and interaction in children. Games like spell and build words, sandpaper letters, word building tiles, language kit and literacy kit are perfect for a toddler. If your child is 10 years and above, you can expose them to Scrabble which enhances the word building capacity and vocabulary of a child tremendously. They learn to use the prefix and suffix effortlessly and find the meaning of different words. It also boosts their cognitive ability. This original scrabble is manufactured by Mattel and is priced at Rs. 698. It is an assortment of one scrabble board, 4 racks and 100 letter tiles. You can order it online from Flipkart.

The word STEAM means Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. The STEAM learning process aid a child to learn science and technology hands-on based on activities like constructing a house from a cardboard box. Parents should be aware of the STEAM concept and provide materials and learning prospects to their children.

Children are born scientists with an inquisitive mind that should be nurtured by the guardians. Parents should purchase toys like a construction kit, connector sticks, stacking city blocks, stacking cups, gingerbread kids, wooden building blocks, C-link counters, geometric stacker, toolbox with tools, shape bucket sorter and cranes for nurturing their scientific mind.

If you are confused among the wide range, we suggest you go for Mechnix, which is a construction set for children above 6 years. You can direct your child to become a budding engineer by inspiring their technical creativity. You can purchase this set for Rs. 1,423 from Flipkart.

The toys representing the category of educational play significantly impacts a child’s mind and should be introduced at an early age when they start learning new things. When a child pretends to narrate and imitate things through toy characters and objects they learn the art of coping with the practical reality. These imaginations instill symbolic thinking, emotional build-up and self-regulation in the children. Sets containing animals and their habitats, babies, shapes, counting and colours, shapes flashcards, colour match, five senses, food groups, a first memory, people who help us, lacing beads, threading shapes, cotton reels with laces, big doodle board are some specific toys belonging to this class.

If your child is around 3 years, you can select primary lacing beads manufactured by Melissa & Doug for your child, which consists of 30 wooden beads of different colours and shapes. The pack has two brightly coloured laces and a storage box made of wood. This game increases the synchronization between the eyes and hand and also augments their motor skills. This set is priced at Rs. 1,098 and can be obtained from Amazon.

A child up to the age of five investigates day to day mathematics as a tool in the form of shape, volume, sequence and distance. Babies learn geometry while discovering the shapes of different objects. These concepts of maths can be made visible to children by exposing them to mathematical toys like an abacus, counting cubes, play money, pegboard, hopping mat, pin and geoboard with elastics, balance scale, shape sorter, numeracy kit and high school maths kit. You can present an abacus to your 2-year child for educating them with multiple skills. This wooden piece is durable and will assist your child in learning shapes, sizes, numbers, and colours. It also improves the cognitive skill of the child. You can buy it from Amazon at a price of Rs 899.

Listening to music has a positive influence on the complete development of a child. Parents should be aware that formal music training affects cognitive progress such as memory, perception and language skills in children. The art of reading and identification between different pitch in a speech gets enhanced through music. Infant and toddlers should be given toys like jingle stick and wrist bells which produces musical sound on movement. Older children should be exposed to musical instruments like guitar, cymbals, tambourine, maracas and xylophone.

You can give this brightly coloured guitar to your child of 6 years which will boost his concentration and attention. Your child will learn to be patient during the process of learning to play the instrument. He will be self-confident in mastering even a small piece of music. It is a guitar with 6 strings and perfect for the child to maintain his or her posture. It has a wooden body with a length of 21 inches. You can order is online from Flipkart at a reasonable price of Rs. 899.

Parents should motivate the curiosity of a child by exposing them to the world of puzzles. This will teach them to analyse things from various angles, imparting scientific colours to their minds. Easier puzzles like an animal peg and fruit peg puzzles can be given to toddlers. Children in higher age groups can be given Rubik's cube and puzzles based on language, mathematics, science and geography.

This set from Funskool contains two Rubiks cube which is an ideal gift for your child of 8 years. Children should memorise the movements of the cube which increases their capability of preserving different information. They acquire the talent to solve the puzzle using different techniques and moves which has a beneficial effect on their analytical capability. Their concentration is boosted since they remain hooked to the same object for a long time. Buy it from First Cry at Rs 899.

Each child is born with an assortment of intelligence that could be developed and displayed by proper tuning of their inherent skills. Children can articulate their imaginative minds through different kinds of art activities. The art activities enhance the confidence in a child which influences him positively in other life activities. Some of the items for your child are: Paintbrush (small, medium and large), powder paint, paint stamps representing things like alphabets, animals, shapes etc, coloured sand, sponge paint rollers, play dough and dough board, modelling clay, Crayons, craft sticks, vegetable rubs, stencils. There are companies that combine different items and sell as a kit like Art and creative kit and play dough kit.

You can gift this dough set from Funskool to your 3-year-old to increase her creative capability. Buy it from First Cry at a minimum rate of Rs 100.

Physical education is a must for all children to boost their health, responsibility and physical competence. The flexibility, cardiovascular activity and motor skills are improved by physical activities which aid them to face life in a better way in their future. The different toys for imparting physical education are soccer ball, cricket set, skittles set, Frisbees, balance beam, pushing wheel, Hoola hoops, hopping bag, wooden jungle gym and different kinds of items for out sports.

This 24 inch bicycle is an ideal birthday gift for your 8-year-old child for vigorous physical activity. This bicycle is equipped with 6 speeds grip shifter and can be used to ride on mountainous terrains also. While cycling, the cardiovascular muscles of your child also get exercised, making their health robust. It is a good exercise for the legs and subsequently imparts strength to all the muscles in the body. It is a stress reliever for your child after a hectic day at school. This bicycle will strengthen the confidence in your child as he will move out independently. Purchase this perfect bicycle from Decathlon for Rs. 8,499.

The most comfortable and best playmate for a child is his parents. Children who spend more time with their parents tend to be more creative and learn the value of life skills. Parents should observe and follow the mind of the children. The children should be given toys like family hand puppet set, magnetic theatre, play broom, magnetic dress-up girl and boy, doll attire from different culture, Doll cot, blanket, kitchen play kit, farm play kit, kits representing the various profession.

These toys help children to work out their own ideas. This set of pretend professionals will make your child familiar with practical happenings taking place around their surroundings. They can pretend and play any character with their friends which will increase their imagination. This set contains 12 different toys which are replicas of 12 professions. You can buy this for Rs 4,068 from Amazon.

Parents of differently-abled children should select the toys very carefully. They should heed on the fact that the toys should not irritate their child. They can opt for toys like easy grip ball, faster blaster, balance dome, gym rings, hopping ball, moving step, gymnic plus which improves their skill in different aspects. This gym hopper ball will develop the balancing capacity of your child. This ball is safe and has no issues of bursting. The confidence and motor skills of these special children get augmented while playing and hooping on this ball. You can obtain it from Decatholon at an easily affordable price of Rs. 449.

Toys affect the nature of the child. Children who play more are better adjusted to any type of situation, physically active, popular, co-operative and happier. Sports loving children are curious, interactive, creative and full of humour. Nurturing the mind of children through appropriate educational toys will transform them into individuals whom we can count on in the future. You are diverting your child intelligently from electronic gadgets to constructive toys.