What Toys Should My 2-Year Old Be Playing With?

Parents, we know you're busy. It's easy to lose track of your two-year-playthings old's between the chaos of dinner prep, bathroom scrubbing, and laundry. Exactly how do you determine which toys are best for your kid? Toys can have a significant impact on a child's development, and this article provides some guidelines for selecting toys that can stimulate your child's mind, body, language, and social-emotional growth as she gets older.

In the early years, children learn best via exploration and play. Your child will learn and grow at her own pace and in her own way as she pursues her interests during play. Your child's growth might be significantly impacted by the toys and playthings she has access to. If you walk into a toy store nowadays, you may think picking out toys for toddlers would be a breeze, but in reality, the only thing that comes easily is feeling completely overwhelmed. The toy market for toddlers is huge, with a huge variety of options available.

How do you tell which ones are safe for your kid to play with? What characteristics identify those as long-lasting and high-quality? Which one will hold your kid's interest for more than a few weeks? Some suggestions for picking out toys that will last as long as your child does, provide her with new opportunities to learn, and support her growth as a whole are included below (her thinking, physical, language and social-emotional skills).

Toys for toddlers and preschoolers should be age-appropriate and feature components that encourage growth and exploration. It's easy to find age-appropriate and safe playthings without spending a dime. The same "treasures" (lids, collections, cardboard boxes,and plastic bowls of plastic bottle caps) can be used in various ways by children of varying ages.

Every child is different, so as you read the following lists of recommended toys for kids of various ages, keep this in mind. We need storage options for the baby's nursery. Check out the range at My Baby Nursery. As long as they're not hazardous, toys and books on one list can be OK for children of a wider age range.

Tips On Buying Toys For Infants And Young Children

Pick Out Toys With Multiple Functions.

A toddler's natural tendency is to disassemble, reassemble, remove, replace, add, and construct. Pick for "open-ended" playthings that can be used in a variety of ways for your kid. Toy blocks, whether made of wood or plastic, can be used to construct anything from a road to a zoo to a bridge to a spaceship. These kinds of toys are great for encouraging creativity and for building your child's logical and problem-solving abilities. Toys for use with sand and water include, but are not limited to, blocks, nesting cups or blocks, interlocking blocks.

Find Toys That Grow With Your Child.

Every parent has bought a toy that their kid only played with for two days and then ignored. To avoid this, look for toys that will still be enjoyable at a variety of ages. Small plastic animals, for instance, can be entertaining for both younger and older toddlers; the former can build a shoebox home for them, while the latter can utilise them in play. Toys like dump trucks, railways, stuffed animals, and dollhouses made from child-safe plastic are just a few examples.

Select Exploration And Problem-Solving Toys.

With play, kids can hone their abilities again and over again. Toys that require kids to use their brains (either on their own or with guidance) help children develop into tenacious problem solvers and logical thinkers. As a bonus, they aid in the growth of important skills like hand-eye coordination, fine motor abilities, and spatial awareness (the ability to visualise how different parts of a whole work together) (using the small muscles in the hands and fingers). Toys like shape sorters, puzzles, blocks, and art supplies like clay, nesting cups or blocks, paint, playdough, and crayons are all great examples.

Find Imaginative Toys.

Your child's imagination blooms throughout his third year, when he is able to play pretend as someone else (like a king) and see something (like a block) as something else (like a piece of cake). The best toys for your youngster to employ in his imaginative play are ones that can be acted out. Children's imaginative play has several benefits, including the development of literacy, problem-solving, and sequencing skills (put events in a logical order).

Free and versatile, a huge cardboard box is a toddler favourite and a great toy for a variety of activities. Contact a local appliance retailer and ask if you may pick up one of their refrigerator cartons. Your child's imagination is the limit when it comes to using packages as shelter, transportation, or infrastructure.

Give Your Child "Real" Stuff—Or Toys That Look Like It.

Your little one is starting to show an aptitude for figuring out the functionality of common household items like TV remote controls and light switches. She wants to grow up and be just like you, so she asks to play with your "real" things like your cell phone.

The problem-solving, spatial-relations-learning, and fine-motor-skills-building benefits of this and similar toys are well-documented (using the small muscles in the hands and fingers). See our selection of baby nursery furniture, including cribs, changing tables, and chairs. Plastic cutlery and food, pretend phones and keys, instruments and costumes for pretend play, and miniature versions of adult cleaning tools are just a few examples.

Add "Reading Ready" Toys.

In order to help your child learn to write and read at an early age, magnetic alphabet letters, stock up on books, and art tools like markers, finger paints and crayons. Your youngster can have fun while learning about letters, text, and print by looking at and playing with "real-life" props like take-out menus, catalogues, or magazines.

Active Toys Are Best.

As they become stronger and more assured in their bodies, toddlers begin to do a wide variety of physical stunts. Your mission is to cheer on your kid as he or she does a new feat on the playground. Look for playthings that will encourage your youngster to use and learn new physical abilities.

Toys that encourage physical activity include balls of varying sizes and shapes, three-wheeled scooters or tricycles (with safety gear), plastic bowling sets, pull-toys (e.g., toys that your child can pull on a string), a child-sized basketball hoop, a waggon to fill and pull, gardening tools to dig and rake, and moving boxes (open at both ends) to create tunnels to crawl through.

Look For Cross-Generational Toys.

Although most games are suitable for both adults and children to enjoy together, there are some toys that are made specifically for adults. Memory games and other easy board games that don't necessitate reading are great for kids as young as three and up. You may start a regular "family game night" with your loved ones.

Playing board games is an excellent way to improve cognitive abilities including counting, matching, memory, listening, and self-control (as children learn to follow the rules). Additionally, they help develop linguistic and social abilities. Children learn to be gracious victors and to deal with defeat, which is a big benefit in and of itself.

Don't Complicate Things.

Overly complex toys limit a child's creative potential. Toys like talking dolls and stuffed animals that tell children to press buttons during playtime are essentially taking control of the situation from the child, who should be in command. A child's capacity to use her imagination is stunted when she is presented with a toy that has too narrow of a focus. The best toys, like blocks, are frequently the most basic ones because they encourage toddlers to think on their feet.

Limit Electronics And Video Games.

In this technological day, it's unrealistic to expect parents to shield their young children from any exposure to electronic media. But especially for young children, it is important to establish limits.

There are a number of potential risks to children's health and development associated with the use of electronic toys, including but not limited to linguistic and cognitive delays, increased risk of injury from exposure to loud noises, and increased risk of childhood obesity. Recent research has shown that toys that don't demand any participation from the child foster a passive learning style, which can impede the development of critical thinking skills.

A child's attention span might be impacted by technology as well. With these kind of toys, a child doesn't have to focus on one item for very long because there are always new things happening. Children who use these toys frequently may have trouble concentrating on a book or a toy that doesn't move.

Infant Toys: Pregnancy Through The First Year

Babies are naturally curious, therefore they will glance at and follow the movement of the people around them. They are more attracted to human features and vivid hues. Babies can already accomplish so much: reach, explore their environment with their hands and feet, lift their heads, turn them in the direction of sounds, and put objects in their mouths.

Popular Baby Toys:

• Toys and books that are easy for them to manipulate and grasp, such as rattles, squeeze toys, huge rings, soft dolls, teething toys, textured balls, board books, vinyl and so on.
• To be played are recordings of lullabies and easy songs, as well as books containing nursery rhymes and poems.
• Baby-safe mirrors and photographs of familiar people can be hung where they can be easily observed.

Preschool Playthings For Babies 7-12 Months Of Age

Infants about this age are always on the go, progressing from tummy time to sitting to creeping, scooting, bouncing, eventually standing and pulling themselves up. They can recognise their own names and other common words, name body parts, locate concealed items, and manipulate containers.

Suitable Playthings For Older Babies:

• Pretend playthings like puppets, dolls, wooden cars and plastic, and boats.
• Plastic bowls, big beads, balls, and nested toy sets are all great things to drop and pick up again.
• Tools for construction, such as cubes of wood and oversized foam blocks
• Toys that require the use of their bulky limbs and muscles, like pull toys, big balls, and low, silent surfaces to crawl over.

One-Year-Olds' Playthings

Infants and toddlers in their first year are constantly moving and exploring. In most cases, they have steady gait and can even scale stairways. They have an interest in books, begin to communicate with simple words, and are able to play alongside (but not yet with) other children. They are curious and like to try new things, but they should not do so without adult supervision.

Fun Stuff For One Year Olds:

• Picture books depicting animals, plants, and other natural themes are perfect for young children.
• Music and audio recordings of nursery rhymes and short stories with accompanying illustrations
• Activities with big sheets of paper, non-toxic and crayons, washable markers
• Items for role-playing, such as toy phones, doll beds, and dolls baby strollers, and carriage dress-up accessories (scarves, handbags), puppets, plastic animals, plush toys, and plastic and wood "realistic" automobiles.
• Cardboard and wooden blocks (as tiny as 2 to 4 inches in size) can be utilised as construction materials.
• Toys that require the use of both large and little muscles, such as puzzles, toys giant pegboards, with moving parts (knobs, dials, lids and switches), and a variety of different sized balls

Preschool Playthings (Toddlers)

Children at this age pick up language and a sense of danger quickly. They still perform numerous acts of physicality.

• Jumping from heights
• Rough-and-tumble
• Climbing
• Rolling
• Hanging

Appropriate Playthings For Two Year Olds:

• Toys with hooks, buckles, buttons, and snaps; wooden puzzles (5-13 pieces); snap-together blocks; objects to sort (by size, colour, shape, or fragrance);
• Toys for role-playing and creative construction, including smaller, blocks, (and durable) transportation toys, child-sized furniture, construction sets,(play food, kitchen sets, chairs), dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories, puppets, and sand and water play toys.
• Tools for expression: big, non-toxic, washable markers and washable crayons; blank sheets of paper for sketching and painting; multi colored construction paper; blunt-tipped scissors, toddler-sized; a huge chalkboard; and a set of rhythm instruments.
• Picture books aimed towards older children that contain more information than those aimed at younger readers.
• Music players that play CDs and DVDs (and, yes, phonographs and cassette recorders)
• Toys that require the use of both small and large muscle groups, such as a variety of balls for riding, tossing, kicking, and tunnelling, as well as low climbers with soft substance underneath, and hammering toys.

3-To-6-Year-Old Toys (Preschoolers And Kindergarteners)

Children's attention spans increase dramatically between the ages of three and five, when they are typically in preschool and kindergarten. Commonly, they engage in lengthy conversation and several enquiries. They are still developing their physical abilities, therefore they like trying new activities. They prefer to compete against their pals and don't take defeat well. Children of kindergarten age and up are usually capable of taking turns with one another and sharing a single toy between two or more of them.

Toys For Kids And Risk Management

Young children should only play with toys that are well-made (do not pinch, have no sharp edges), painted with non-toxic, lead-free paint, are shatterproof, and are simple to clean. Toys that use batteries must be "UL Approved." Make sure the toy has a label stating that it has been tested and authorised by Underwriters Laboratories. Moreover, when shopping for toys for kids under the age of three, check sure there are no little components or fragments that could become stuck in a kid's throat and cause suffocation.

Toddler Toy Questions: Why Are Sounds, Lights, And Music Good?

There are a lot of buttons, levers, lights, music, etc. on many toddler toys. This type of toy is frequently promoted as "developmental" since it serves so many purposes. To the dismay of parents everywhere, this typically has the opposite effect on the kid. A toy's usefulness increases the less work it requires of a child who plays with it.

If your kid is content to sit and watch the toy "perform," chances are it's more of a distraction than a learning tool. Furthermore, a kid who is still figuring out what causes what may become frustrated by these toys.

The reason of the lights and music cannot be explained if the toy just starts playing music or if it is unclear which button caused the lights to start flashing (the effect). In a nutshell, the best toys for a young child are the ones that demand the most work from him or her. As a general rule, children learn more when they are required to utilise their brains and bodies to accomplish a task.

Can "Make My Baby Smarter" Toys Really Work?

Use extreme caution. However, research shows that the vast majority of these products do not actually improve kids' IQs. The most effective teaching tools are frequently something you already have about the house (plastic bowls for filling and dumping, piling to build a cave, cushions for climbing and old clothing for play). Online baby product directory at My Baby Nursery. Keep in mind that the more your kid is challenged to engage her brain and body, the more she will learn.

Conclusion

A child's growth can be profoundly affected by the toys they play with. Toddler and preschool toys should be developmentally appropriate and include play pieces that spark kids' natural curiosity. Keep in mind that every child is unique as you peruse the following lists of suggested toys for children of varying ages. Dismantling, cleaning, and reassembling are all activities that come naturally to a child. Toys that encourage youngsters to think creatively (on their own or with adult direction) foster the development of resilient problem solvers.

Literacy, problem solving, and sequencing are all abilities that might benefit from engaging in imaginative play. A large cardboard box can serve as a terrific toy for infants and toddlers. Balls of all sizes and forms, as well as tricycles and scooters with three wheels, are great examples of toys that promote healthy play and exercise. Cross-Generational Bowling pins, rakes, and shovels, as well as moving boxes that can be used to construct tunnels, are among the toys available. Counting, matching, recall, listening, and self-control are just few of the cognitive skills that can be honed by regular game play.

Children as young as three can enjoy memory games and other simple board games that don't require literacy. A child's ability to imagine and create is stunted by toys that are too complicated for them. Baby-safe mirrors and pictures of loved ones can be displayed in plain sight. Toys for One Year Olds: Nature-themed picture books are great for toddlers and preschoolers.

Puppets, dolls, plastic and wooden automobiles, and boats are also great pretend playthings for older infants. Only high-quality toys painted with non-toxic, lead-free paint should be given to toddlers. For a child of this age, it's best to get them toys like puzzles that encourage the usage of both their large and small muscle groups. Youngsters in a kindergarten setting can learn to share and take turns with playthings. Is It Possible That "Make My Baby Smarter" Toys Actually Do What They Say They Will?

Don't take any chances; exercise extreme caution. Despite claims to the contrary, studies reveal that the most majority of these items do not actually raise children's intelligence levels. A lot of times, things lying about the house can be used as educational materials. My Baby Nursery is a comprehensive online resource for parents.

Content Summary

1. This article offers advice on how to choose toys for your growing child that will promote her cognitive, motor, linguistic, and social and emotional development.
2. Young children get the most knowledge through trial and error and free play in the first few years of their lives.
3. The toys and playthings available to your child may have a profound effect on her development.
4. The toddler toy market is massive, and it offers parents and carers a dizzying array of alternatives.
5. Below are some tips for selecting toys that will outlast your child, encourage her to try new things, and contribute to her development as a whole (her thinking, physical, language and social-emotional skills).
6. Toddler and preschool toys should be developmentally appropriate and include play pieces that spark kids' natural curiosity.
7. There are plenty of free, safe, and fun options for kids of all ages.
8. Keep in mind that every child is unique as you peruse the following lists of suggested toys for children of varying ages.
9. The baby's room lacks suitable shelving and drawers for storage.
10. Look for toys that can be utilised in a number of different ways, or are "open-ended," for your child.
11. Toys of this type can do wonders for your child's development, especially when it comes to fostering their imagination and enhancing their capacity for logic and problem solving.
12. You may avoid this by looking for toys that are fun for kids of different ages.
13. You should get your kid playthings that can be played out so he can use his imagination.
14. A large cardboard box can serve as a fun and functional play for a toddler without breaking the bank.
15. Provide your child with "real" items, or at least toys that resemble them.
16. Magnetic alphabet letters, books, and art supplies like markers, finger paints, and crayons can all aid in a young child's development of early literacy skills.
17. Your job is to show your pride in your child's accomplishments while they take place on the playground.
18. Try to find games and toys that will get your kid moving and using their muscles.
19. While the vast majority of toys and games can be enjoyed by adults and children alike, there are a few exceptions.
20. Children as young as three can enjoy memory games and other simple board games that don't require literacy.
21. Initiate "family game night" as a weekly tradition with your loved ones.
22. Cognitive skills like counting, matching, memory, listening, and self-control can all benefit from playing board games (as children learn to follow the rules).
23. It's unreasonable to think that parents can keep their young children completely away from electronic media in the modern era.
24. It's vital to set limits for everyone, but it's more crucial when it comes to young children.
25. Children's usage of electronic toys is linked to a range of possible concerns to their health and development, such as language and cognitive delays, hearing damage from excessively loud noises, and childhood obesity.
26. Recent studies have revealed that children who play with toys that don't require their attention develop a passive learning style, which is detrimental to their later ability to think critically.
27. Technology use may also shorten a kid's attention span.
28. Babies are inquisitive by nature, so they will watch and copy the actions of the adults around them.
29. Human characteristics and bright colours tend to pique their interest.
30. Objects that are simple to grab and handle, such as rattles, squeeze toys, large rings, soft dolls, teething toys, textured balls, board books, vinyl, and so on.
31. Children in their first year are full of energy and curiosity; they are always on the move, showing an interest in books and learning to use simple words; they are also capable of playing alongside (but not yet with) other children.
32. Nature-themed picture books are great for toddlers and preschoolers.
33. Given that they are still maturing physically, they like exploring new pursuits.
34. Kindergartners and older kids can usually take turns playing with toys and sharing with others.
35. Toys for toddlers should be well-made (no pinching, smooth edges), free of harmful materials like lead paint, durable enough to withstand rough play but not shatter, and easy enough to clean up afterwards.
36. Toys like these are often marketed as "developmental" since they may be used in so many different ways.
37. The less effort a child needs to put into playing with a toy, the better.
38. The item is more of a diversion than an educational tool if your child is satisfied to sit and watch it "perform."
39. To put it succinctly, the best toys for a young child are the ones that require the most effort from him or her.