Healthy Toys for Healthy Minds

What are some of the things you want your child to learn through play? Many – if not most – parents want for their children’s toys to encourage healthy mental development and motor skills. But many modern toys “spoon feed” entertainment to children without enhancing their individual skills. Rather than encourage creativity, many toys today aim only to entertain, and in a particular way. Here are some problems with today’s toys.

* Toys based on movies limit children to using pre-fabricated characters and plots.

* Electronic toys may claim educational value, but that education may be limited to alphabet letters that light up or speakers that announce the name of an animal when a certain button is pushed.

* There is growing concern over the toxicity of the plastics used to make toys. PVC, or polyvinyl chloride, is environmentally toxic to produce and contains chemicals (adipates and phthalates) that can leach into foods and, of course, into your child or baby’s mouth.

* Every toy has a life cycle, and when its time is up it usually ends up in the landfill. More and more evidence points to the environmental toxicity of these plastics as they release harmful toxins into the environment.

* There is so much technology today. It’s a digital world, and children get caught up in it. Children can end up viewing the world through a screen.

What Kinds of Toys Enhance Cognitive Development?

Solid, simple toys are consistently shown to be the best for children’s development. Here are some suggestions.

# Wooden blocks put your child literally in touch with her environment. Various shapes, sizes and colors (although plain wood is fine, too) help your child learn how to manipulate his environment, create, and solve problems.

# Marbles have been a favorite of older children for decades. These attractive glass spheres can be used to play the game of marbles. They can also be run down creative chutes.

# Wooden or porcelain dominoes are excellent for teaching and reinforcing math skills. Setting them up carefully and then knocking them down at a prescribed moment enhances fine motor coordination.

# Chess, checkers, and board games are timeless, fun toys for older children.

# Basic wooden toys – also known as “folk toys” – are gaining popularity and are more widely available. A huge variety of wooden toys are available, such as wooden trains, airplanes, marble chutes, trucks, cars, and others. Not associated with any media, children are free to imagine with these toys and create their own world of make-believe.

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