Children go through various stages of development as they grow older. In these stages, they have different capabilities and require certain activities or toys to engage them and help them grow. When you walk into any preschool classroom, you will find almost all learning activities combined with play.

This is because playing makes learning fun and more memorable for young kids. As you know, the pandemic has dramatically changed how we do things, including education. Not all parents thrive at homeschooling their kids, but when they are toddlers, you can opt to buy them educational toys to help them understand the world around them.

This article will highlight the type of toys you should get for your child as they go through the different development stages.

Toys for infants

From through to six months, young kids are fascinated by sounds, bright colors, and faces. One might say they are most attentive at this age, trying to watch you by following you with their eyes or turning their tiny heads when they hear something. They are also interested in what their hands and feet can do, so they will try to reach for things and maybe put them in their mouths.

You should invest in toys they can hold at this age, suck on, shake, and make noise with. You can buy rattles, squeeze toys, teething toys, soft dolls, textured balls and board books. It’s also a great time to start reading to your kids or put on lullaby audio with rhyming words and simple songs.

From seven months to one year, babies are mobile. They can sit, stand, crawl and walk. They know their names and respond when you call them. They can point to things to identify them, and they enjoy putting things in and out of containers.

This is the best time to engage their imagination with dolls, puppets, vehicles, building blocks, plastic bowls, beads balls, push and pull toys, board books, puzzles, plastic animals and much more. 

Toys for toddlers and preschoolers

At two years old, children can understand language and have a sense of danger. They are curious about a lot of things and are braver when it comes to rough play. They climb, run, hang roll and test their physical bodies in several ways.

The best toys to buy at this stage are wood puzzles, blocks that join together and sorting objects to build their problem-solving skills. Constructive sets, furniture sets, dress up dolls, transportation toys, and creative play toys like washable crayons and paints are also a good choice. Picture books with more details and larger balls for kicking and throwing to build their motor skills are also a great option.

Toddlers and preschoolers can benefit from the same toys only you need to make them more complex for kindergarteners. For example, you can buy a 16-piece puzzle for a preschooler instead of 12 pieces. You can buy tricycles, wagons and digital devices like tablets.

Ensure that they have no sharp ends or have toxic paints. Always check your kid’s toys regularly because wear and tear can sometimes make the toys unsafe.