Many parents worry about how to prepare their children for life. Today’s media and technology possibilities make this situation difficult. How can I educate my child? What activities should I offer him? What kind of toys should I buy? We are faced with such questions on a daily basis. Children’s brains can be shaped and they are always open to information, as stated by those who research the development of the brain. If training can be given to this at a young age, they will have a great treasure in the future. According to researchers, the human brain learns new information more easily by making connections with old ones. After children develop gross motor movements, they can make fine motor movements. For this reason, it is important to choose the occupations and toys of the children according to their ages. Thus, they learn about the world better and their intelligence becomes stronger.
Children are incredibly inquisitive. If these curiosities are met positively by adults, a child with positive emotions will also have an investigative spirit in adult life. It is genetically programmed in them. If the child’s investigative spirit is hindered by adults, the child perceives life as boring, unsuccessful and unhappy.
So what is appropriate for our children?
Many adults think about the future of the child, not the current situation. But the important thing is to perceive it with the characteristics of the child’s nature. All children are little researchers. Parents should step back a little and watch with pleasure what their children can do.
Toys are tools that will help these research little ones in their social, spiritual and physical development. These vehicles must be determined by parents in an age-appropriate manner.
When does my child need which toy?
6 months to 12 months
Touch books, balls, plastic cups, boxes, cloth dice, animals that make noise
12-18 months
First puzzles, wooden cars, picture books, balls
18-24 months
Small boxes, puzzles, xylophone, kneading clay, baby dolls
2-3 years
Picture books, Legos, clay dough, thick crayons, child labor materials
3-4 years old
Coloring books, first together games-like find your mate-, toy kitchen, puppets,
When buying a toy, it is necessary to choose the one suitable for the age and skills of the child. Too many toys should not be taken. The child needs at most 3 alternatives to play. More than that causes reluctance in the child.
How do games and toys affect children’s development?
1-Trust: In the first months, the baby smiles at his mother, who laughs at him and plays with him. If the parents can respond correctly to the signals given by their babies during this period, they will provide the first environment of trust between themselves and their babies. With the feeling that I am an influential person in this world, the first seeds of self-confidence are planted. A comfortable and happy baby is open to the world and open to learning the next skills.
2-Excitement: Children want interesting games to keep themselves busy. They discover something new at the zoo, swimming pool, or playground. This gives them extreme excitement. The important thing here is that the request comes from the child. It is not right to constantly make new suggestions to the child. Because the child gets stressed about it and there is no excitement for learning.
3-Activity: Children want to direct their own lives. The important thing is to allow the child to participate in some activities, to support them in this regard, and to help them solve their own problems. So it’s their right to play outside in the rain, observe worms, paint, or build sand castles. Active kids think they are effective and that makes them strong.
4-Responsibility: Playing, laughing, crying, fighting, taking responsibility, showing emotions are important skills in terms of developmental psychology. That’s why life experiences are much more important than information read from a book. Individuals with emotional intelligence can bring together thinking and emotions and show enthusiasm for learning.
It is very important for the child to share a peaceful and happy environment with his parents during all playing periods. By the way, it should not be forgotten that children need habits. For example, reading a book every night before going to bed.
