Make good use of toys to help children grow

With the improvement of material living standards, the variety of children's toys nowadays is far greater than in any previous era. On the one hand, younger children do not have much judgment ability, and often want to buy any new toys they see, and parents have to "fight wits and courage" with their children. On the other hand, parents also need to consciously help their children choose suitable toys and fully realize the importance of toys in their children's growth.

First of all, kids toys are important companions for children. For children, the biggest difference between toys and parents and other caregivers may be that they are always "there" and "emotionally stable". Infants and young children often give toys real life. For example, in the process of children learning to fall asleep independently, they need to face darkness, loneliness and boundless fantasies alone, and toys will become an important source of security and support for children. Toys will also play a certain role as substitute parents during the transition period when children first enter kindergarten, accompanying them to adapt to challenges.

Secondly, toys also have rich social functions. Young children usually like to play with toys by themselves, but when they are a little older, children often exchange toys with playmates or play together, and use toys to play "role-playing games". In this process, toys become social tools, which help children develop social functions and establish peer relationships.

Secondly, toys also have important learning and educational functions. Toys are an important medium for children to explore and understand the world at first. Especially some educational toys, which enable children to learn knowledge while playing and promote the development of their thinking and creativity.

So how can parents help their children choose suitable toys that are conducive to their growth?

Safety is the bottom line for choosing kids toys. Excessive plasticizers, heavy metals such as lead, and the use of recycled plastics containing toxic substances are all possible risks that need special attention in toys, which will have adverse effects on children's health and intellectual development. Parents should be vigilant, learn to identify and check, and prevent "toxic toys" from entering the house.

When choosing kids toys, you should respect and understand your child's interests. Fun in the eyes of children is often related to novelty and strong interactivity, or it can bring a sense of control and accomplishment, and evoke positive emotional experiences. Parents should understand what their children like and what children of different ages need, instead of imposing their own interests and ideas on their children, and not utilitarianly using whether they can learn knowledge as the only criterion for choosing kids toys. After all, for children, whether it is "fun" is the charm of toys.

Diversification is an important principle for choosing kids toys. Every family may have its own toy preferences. Some families advocate natural style and use natural objects and daily objects as toys; some families like high-tech and intelligent toys... But try not to let children's toys be too single. Children's interests and personalities are still in the stage of exploration and germination. Kids toys with diverse categories can better reflect the openness and tolerance of the family, and also give children richer experience and more possibilities for exploration.

Toys are also an important way to establish a harmonious parent-child relationship. For example, parents can "read" their children through toy scenes. How children play with toys often implies their needs and demands. The emotions that children want to express, the wishes they want to realize, and the emotions they want to make up for may be reflected or satisfied in the process of playing with toys. If parents pay attention to observation and understanding, they can see the deep needs of their children and understand them more deeply.

Sometimes children will invite their parents to play kids toys together. At this time, parents need to jump out of the guidance thinking and sensitively perceive or confirm the role that children want to play in it. Sometimes it may be just a collaborator, and sometimes you need to play a certain game role. Parents may wish to immerse themselves in it, just like participating in an interactive drama, curiously entering the child's imaginary world, exploring the child's heart, and achieving deep spiritual communication with the child.

Parents do not have to tell or instruct their children how they "should" play with toys. Some parents like to explain the toy instructions to their children and instruct them how to play "correctly" to avoid making mistakes or breaking the toys. This practice protects the toys, but destroys the child's most precious imagination and creativity. Parents do not have to worry that their children will not play. When children play "wrong", they should not rush to correct them. It is more important to encourage children to use toys to explore the world and express themselves.

Some open-ended game materials in daily life can also be used as children's toys under the premise of safety, such as wood, sand, leaves, blankets, baskets, trays and other natural objects or household items. Don't restrict children's toys too much, and protect children's creativity and open thinking. Let children play freely and express and create freely with the help of objects, even if they like to disassemble, assemble, and disassemble toys again. Why not? Parents should stand in the perspective of their children and give them more space and opportunities for free growth.