Baby Toys

Toys as Developmental Learning Tools

Toys do fulfill more of a function than just play. It has long been known by child development psychologists that playing with certain types of toys allows the child to learn important skills and develop mental abilities. Simple building bricks may seem like a basic toy to an adult but a baby will learn special awareness from playing with them. Playing with building blocks improves hand-eye coordination, math and science skills. They also give a basic understanding of cause and effect.
Other types of toys help a child develop and express artistic skills and imagination. Items that allow a child to create things such as Silly Putty or Play-Doh have been shown in studies to improve cognitive and emotion development. Toys, which have bright colours and sounds, allow a child to recognize and learn the difference between two different colours or different sounds.

Some toys have been criticized by psychologists as being too gender specific. For example dolls for girls and Lego for boys. Today however it is more widely accepted to let a child play with the toy that they enjoy rather than enforce gender stereotypes on them through the use of toys.

The Early Learning Centre are very popular toys in the UK.