“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”
Benjamin Franklin
A child’s brains goes through a spellbinding period of development in the first three years. It produces a million neural connections every second, which means that the child observes and learns from each and every diminutive thing he comes across!
This learning doesn’t start when the child begins to talk or displays comprehension, but it begins right from Day 1!
Did you know? At birth, children have almost all the neurons they’ll ever have in their life. These neurons double in size by one year and reaches 80% of its adult volume by the time the child turns three!
Keeping in mind the pace at which their mental development takes place and the incredible amount of potential that they possess, it’s crucial for us to make each of their activities a learning experience for them.
According to researches, kids between the age of 1-3 prefer ‘functional play’ i.e. they like to play with the same toy again and again until they master the game and gain confidence to move on to the next toy. This phase is pivotal in encouraging ‘learning skills through play’.
Moreover, consider purchasing toys that grow with the baby. For example, as the baby grows and learns more concepts of one area, their toys should also get more advanced and challenging in that specific area. When practiced in this manner, their skills get sharpened and they master even complex concepts easily.
Skola, one of the most renowned toy brands, has a myriad of Montessori inspired toys for kids between 1-8 years of age. Most of their collection involves multi-sensory approach that has been proved effective in making kids better learners, problem solvers and analysts by improving their memory, fine motor and logical reasoning skills.
Types of incrementally challenging toys you can consider for your babies:
1. Toys that enhance their fine motor skills:
Stackers for young kids and toys involving complex hand manipulations and balancing for older kids– you’ll find a variety of toys that help not only in strengthening of smaller muscles but also improve their eye co-ordination and problem solving ability.
To buy an age-appropriate toy under this category, click here
2. Toys that teach about colours and shapes:
Toys like: Matching the other half of the given object/figure, understanding the intensity of colours, pairing similar objects based on their shapes etc. are some great options in this segment.
This learning will help them in identifying individual colours and geometric shapes and distinguishing them from one another. It’ll also help them understand that both of these are key attributes of all physical objects.
To buy an age-appropriate toy under this category, click here
3. Number games:
This is one of the key areas to work on because understanding of numbers early on sets a solid foundation for all the future arithmetic calculations.
Consider purchasing toys that help in visually associating numbers with physical objects, which thus makes the child understand that each number signifies a specific quantity.
To buy an age-appropriate toy under this category, click here
4. Word games:
Did you know? Babies begin to distinguish speech sounds by 10 months! The first stage of language development is preverbal communication- where they use gestures, cues and noises to get their message conveyed. Once they’re 1.5 years old, they begin to use specific words for specific things. In order to strengthen their vocabulary, frequently using complex words with phonograms helps a lot. Not just that, it sets a firm base for reading and writing and thus making the child confident in communication.
Games that include easy crosswords or word building activities are best for this age.
To buy an age-appropriate toy under this category, click here
5. Toys that focus on pattern formation:
Such toys help them identify similar objects, arrange them through logical reasoning and comprehend distinguished patterns. It expands their problem solving skills and makes them better analysts.
Toys like building blocks or puzzles are great choices for this learning.
To buy an age-appropriate toy under this category, click here
You don’t have to always sit with a book and a pen to teach, make learning fun by including it in all the activities that a child performs!
Thanks for stopping by and reading!
Happy parenting!
Love,
Elina
P.S. This is a sponsored post.
Image Courtesy: Skola’s Official Website
