How can toys contribute to the development in young children?

For the development of young children, some toys may be better than others this Christmas.

DeAnn Davies, director of Early Childhood Outreach at Summit Healthcare, said she recommends that parents do not expose their young children to too many electronic devices.

“The reason for that is because they’re not interactive, and young children learn by interacting with their world,” she said.

Davies said a block, for example, can help stimulate development in colors, shapes and creativity, all skills that are useful to young children.

“Creating a story about what they built (with the block), would be the next level of development,” she said. “Those things rarely happen on an electronic device.”

Parents need to keep in mind the developmental stage of their child, Davies said, and think about which toys will promote development and which will encourage the next developmental skill.

Davies said up until 3-months-old, the parent is the best toy, but starting at 6-months-old, parents should invest in toys such as rattles and board books to increase the child’s skill level.

“For baby’s 1-year to 3-years, you want to think about blocks and bubbles and babies, and things that they can do to represent what’s going on in their world,” she said.

When the child starts growing into a toddler stage, Davies said toys that promote artistic play are best for development.

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