With Christmas fast approaching parents are being advised to think carefully about the toys that appear in their children’s stockings this year.
According to many child psychologists traditional toys provide far more fun and stimulate more creativity than their high-tech rivals. The market has been flooded with the so-called ‘smart toys’ including remote controlled pets and video game systems. It is however the more traditional toy such as the wooden jigsaw puzzle that offer the child and parent greater value for money.
Wooden toys are much more durable than their modern plastic counterparts. High-tech toys frequently need batteries replacing and have far more capacity to break. Wooden toys are designed to stand the test of time and can even be passed down to the next generation if given proper care. They are also far safer for children as they don’t have sharp edges or small pieces for little ones to put in their mouths.
Many of the high tech toys encourage solitary play and tend to entertain children rather than stimulating them to create their own entertainment. Toys do not have to be complex or electronic in order to offer educational value. The most effective toys are fun and develop different aspects of your child’s development. For example a wooden number jigsaw encourages your youngster to develop hand-eye co-ordination, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, spatial awareness, number concepts as well as awareness of number sequencing. The wooden toys are far easier for little hands to manipulate promoting independence skills.
Another advantage of wooden toys is that they offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic toys. Once they are no longer being used they may be recycled and they also don’t contain the chemical ‘phthalates’ which is used to mold plastic playthings. Research is still being undertaken to ascertain whether this chemical has serious health effects on youngsters.
Personalised toys such as the wooden abacus and the maypole on sale at www.helenbroadhead.co.uk give youngsters a real sense of ownership. A child’s self-esteem is given a boost by seeing their name inscribed onto their plaything. This will encourage them to use the toy and to treat it with respect and care.
With all this in mind it is hardly surprising that traditional toy retailers are seeing a growth in sales as parents finally realise that traditional toys are the sensible choice this year.
Source: www.isnare.com
