Children are naturally curious. They are easily attracted and distracted by the things around them, and they quickly pick up pieces of information that adults tend to overlook. Along with children's inquisitiveness is their willingness to do something to satisfy their curiosity or to test their idea.
Children, unlike adults, have yet to make their own interpretations of the basic events happening in their surroundings. Their uncluttered minds welcome knowledge that will either be useful or detrimental to their learning. This vital stage in children's growth must be complemented with proper guidance inside and outside the home, support and encouragement, proper formal education, and educational toys.
Children have short attention spans and are very energetic, reasons why a teaching-and-learning set up that makes things appear like "work" bore them. To get their attention, there should be things that will pique their interest and encourage them to use their five senses. Children like games and activities where there are toys because the latter encourages them to use their creativity and imagination.
Language must be raked, the secrets of slaughter-houses and infamous hole that cannot front the day, must be ransacked, to tell what negro slavery has been. These men, our benefactors, as they are producers of corn and wine, of coffee, of tobacco, of cotton, of sugar, of rum and brandy; gentle and joyous themselves, and producers of comfort and luxury for the civilized world,—there seated in the finest climates of the globe, children of the sun,—I am heart-sick when I read how they came there, and how they are kept there. Their case was left out of the mind and out of the heart of their brothers.
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)
Toys are good tools for educating young minds because they do not force children to learn, promote learning without the little ones realizing it, do not have to be set up in closed quarters all the time, and can be replaced or added to as children grow older. Children like to play and their daily activities become more enjoyable when they have toys to play with.
Toys are very powerful items because they can teach children how to count, identify colors and shapes, match small objects to their larger counterparts, draw, sing and so on. Educational toys contribute to the wealth of knowledge children get every day. The more engaging and interesting the toy is, the more time children spend playing with it.
Toys become educational when children learn something good, helpful and valuable from them. Parents and relatives that guide their children during playtime are able to mix family bonding, factual teaching, and excitement. When toys surround children, the young ones tend to ask a lot of questions as they figure out why certain toys function a certain way or why a particular shape has edges and another does not.
To achieve the larger goal of teaching her children consideration of others, a mother can tolerate some frustration of her own wishes, she can delay having what she wants, she can be flexible enough to compromise. And this is exactly what her child must also learn: that it is possible to survive frustration, it is possible to wait for what he wants, it is possible to compromise without capitulating.
—Elaine Heffner (20th century)
Adult family members can make sure that the children understand the why's and how's of things. This cultivates children's ability to think and reason out logically. Older family members can also help children identify things, how these things are used, and where they can be found. They can also enlighten children as to how certain objects differ from others.
Educational toys are widely available. Parents should pick ones that are suitable for the age and learning ability of their children. Toys that are hard and contain very small parts must not be given to very tiny tots. Health risks must always be weighed before purchasing a particular toy. Toys with animated sounds or those that light up when switched on easily fascinate smaller children. Older children find toys that require setting up and a lot of movement more enticing. While toys are not the only tools by which children can learn, they are definitely one of the most effective and affordable means to develop young minds.
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