Many people in the education profession try their hardest to make sure that students and children are having fun while learning. No one enjoys sitting down while a teacher drones on and on, lulling people to sleep with a monotone voice.
For younger kids and toddlers, many of these toys already come with the benefit of being both fun and educational. The California Department of Public Education, for instance, talks about how those 18 months to three years are crucial for a child’s learning development.
There are plenty of different toys out there, from wooden toys to more modern ones, but they can all help your toddler when they’re growing up.
Art Easel
Who doesn’t love art? Art easels are a great chance for your toddler to develop some creativity and have fun making something on their own.
Many art easels come with more than just paper and markers, as you can find crayons, play-doh, paint, and more. It’s a great chance for them to practice drawing words they just learned or playing other fun games.
Instruments
If you’re a fan of classic rock and great music, then this may be an option for you. Help pass on the gift of music to your little one while they work on developing their motor skills.
There’s no guarantee the music will actually sound good, but you can rest assured knowing that they’re working on other skills while developing their brains.
Puzzles
While there are all kinds of puzzles out there (including some that would make the average adult frustrated) choosing an easy, 20-30 piece puzzle is a great idea for your toddler.
These puzzles can help develop a child’s fine motor and hand-eye coordination skills. It can also be great to work on certain vocabulary words or themes with them to help develop their future interests.
Abacus
Great for counting and use of motor skills, your average abacus is pretty basic but pretty fun for your young learner. Plus, there are plenty of retro options and other fine wooden toys to choose from.
It’s also something they can use as they get a bit older and learn to start counting and even their multiplication tables. Visual learning is always helpful!
Toy Piggy Bank
It’s never too early to start teaching your children about the importance of proper financial habits, is it? Even though they may not be doing chores or pulling in a paycheck yet, having a fun piggy bank is another great toy.
Many toy piggy banks come with voices and songs that will help them count or learn new words. If you want to raise a bilingual child, many toys now come with English and Spanish language options.
Interactive Books
Books are already a fantastic learning tool in their own right. Interactive books with sounds or songs are great tools for your children.
You can find many different books linked to animal sounds, counting, or other fun vocabulary areas. For those that live far away from grandparents or other family members, you can have them record their voices while reading a storybook. It’s a great way to stay interacted with those that are scattered around the world!
Toy Oven
Before the EZ-Bake, a small, plastic toy oven is great for everyone. Train them to become master chefs early on!
The oven is going to help with their early math skills like counting. They’ll have to match everything together in order to create the perfect meal.
With more and more parents relying on gadgets and electronic toys, it is about time to stick to toddler-friendly toys that are educational and helps them in their mental and physical development.
