Best educational toys and games

What's Covered

There’s a lot of requirement in raising our children it includes providing them toys and games that they will probably enjoy as they get older. I think those toys is a basic need for child care, it is hard to visualize without it if you have a child. Even if they don’t have the toys, they will probably make one. Children starts playing even if they are infant by observing around on what they see. Toys is something that they can use when they are in urge to play, every kid love to play and they really play a lot.

Why are games and toys being important

 Games and toys are the thing the probably our children will do in their entire child’s journey. It is important to give them good stuff like toys, it helps them to process things in a small way by playing games and toys since they are still a kid. It also helps the parents or the caregivers to interact with their children through playing by games and toys because it is important also that there will be a caregiver-children bond[1].  While the caregivers played with the children it will help them decide which is better toys that will definitely suitable specifically for their child that can help them be more productive and learn more things. Children will surely show their interest by playing, it will be easy on how you interact with them.

Games and toys can be educational that your children will need, you will not be notice that those toys and games can be educational but it is. Your children will be the one who makes those toys be their learning tools. It will be a helped for children brain development by simply solving things, imagine things and there will surely learn to ask because they are confused to something, it is definitely critical thinking, a little thing such playing toys and games will help them realize things, situations that they can brought as they grow old until they become adult. Life lesson starts when you’re still a kid so it is important to let them play that they can see things clearly as they grow old.

What will be the effect to my child?

Playing with toys and games (kind of toys) has a lot of outcomes. You will be dealing with a lot of pros and cons about it, but I think with a right restriction of every toys and games you can still in control of what they are doing.

Advantage

There’s a lot of advantage that the toys and games can offer for both parents and children. For parents when their children are playing games and toys it will give them an opportunity to be connected to their children by playing with them, they can use it as prizes if ever their children did a good job at house or school, and using those toys and games by their children can result that they can have time to do several household chores. For children there’s a lot of advantages that they can get from it, you may think that it is just a toy and a mess when they’re done playing but when playing with those toys it develops their intelligence on how they will play it well like for example doing some puzzle games they can show their ability in arranging and organizing what is the right puzzle piece that can be completed it. In that case, if they have a lot of toys, they will surely provide different skills and learnings. The following is the skills that they can develop using educational toys and games.

Advantages for children’s skills

Thinking skills

  1. Innovating in problem solving or creativity like building Lego’s like a house.
  2. Identifying such as shapes, colors sizes and its function.
  3. Smart learnings like playing puzzle so that they can fit together.
  4. Using their senses like identifying things is soft that they were able to chew their toy teethers.

Social Skills

  1. Sharing their toys to a playmate.
  2. Being a cooperative playmate like playing buy and sell to a playmate.
  3. Self-discipline to be considerate in a mess after playing by putting toys in the storage when it is not in use.

Emotional development

  1. Seeing their ability itself, like they can throw an arrow with their bow.
  2. Seeing their own satisfaction n completing a task like puzzle.
  3. Expanding imaginations like dressing a doll more pretty.

Physical development

  1. Synchronizing eyes and hands by putting beads into a string.
  2. Using those cute little muscles by playing catching balls.
  3. Coordinating sense of hearing by having an attention on musical educational toys.

There is still a lot of advantages using toys and games compare to the list above. Even if your children have no toys or no time for toys, they still improvised toys that you will not notice that they are still playing. They are improving many skills while having fun that is the true nature of advantages of educational toys and games to them.

Disadvantage

Toys and games can be a helpful instrument to the children’s development but still there is some disadvantages that you need to deal with it. One of the disadvantages of it is the toys will be their source of entertainment and learnings instead of the guide of the parents, in that case it will not be helpful in improving the relationship between parents and their children it is still important if the parents or the caregiver will be the main teacher of their children. Play is necessary to the children and the toys and games are the tools, but let’s remind ourself that we don’t need to substitute the toys on our main role as a parent and caregivers, our love, warm and connection to them is what matter most.[2]

In this modern times, smartphones, gadgets and video games is very in today. It is not good as well if a child spend time with those games in a very long time. There are times that they are really hard to stop in using those gadgets especially when they are playing or watching YouTube videos. There will be a bad effect especially to the children ages 9-24 months if they exposed or spend long time in gadgets it is their speech ability, they can lose their analytical skills or involving conscious intellectual such as reasoning, thinking and remembering. They even have some research and they applied 3 themes in working on it which is first, the toddlers who use gadgets in developing speech ability second, the period of time on how long they used the gadgets and lastly in how to check if there is an addiction in using gadgets of those toddlers. There are 10 participants and in the final decision it seems that gadget has a negative effect for toddlers that can result speech delayed or worst they can be impossible to talk like other children among their age. It is not bad to use gadgets but as a parent you need to have strict restriction on how they use gadgets considering time limit and what they need to watch that suitable for their age[3].

There is another disadvantage which is since some of the toys is plastic and if those are going to be a waste it will be bad for our environment.

Things to consider in choosing toys and games

 Every toy has a role on how thus our children will play. Not every toy that you can see is safe and helpful to our children. There are many things to consider for choosing the right games and toys that is totally suitable for them. The following is some way on how can we determine if you are choosing the right option to buy for our kids.

Suitable for their age

Many of the toys has an indication of what ages will be suitable. It has a number of ages and instruction for how the toys will be use safely. Especially if you have 3 years old below children it is important that you choose the right toys for them because some of the toys has a small part that is dangerous for them, and since they are still very young and love to move and move and bump to some things, choosing the right toys is a must, let’s consider their safety.[4]

For 1-12 months ages

For this age you can offer the toys that can developed their senses since they still in the developing stage it helps to enhance their sense of touch, their hand and eyes coordination, something that can help them to interact like toys that has a sound and light or for infant play. Since they still very young choking and falling is the main problem when our infant is playing. It is important that the toys have no sharp edges or projections on it. They often explore the way they play in putting in their mouths so watch out for small pieces of the toys.

For 12–24-month ages

As your child turn 1, they have a lot of attention in many things around them, the best choice of toys and games for them is something that can make them curious and with their new toys. They also starting to learn how to walk so they can have pushcarts or walkers with shapes and numbers. Ride toys is very engaging because they can enjoy it while being interested to their new found toy. Cloth book is a good idea as well. Since it has a lot of colors and drawings, they will probably want to open that book and since it is a cloth it will not be torn.

For 2+ years old above

As they get older you can let them have the toys and games that can promote physical play. For this age you need to guide them and teach them on how to use those toys or introduce those games since their age can now follow rules. You need to make sure their safety and have a rules and regulations in using it. You can give them ball as they improve their little muscles as an exercise, they can also improve their problem solving and planning playing basketball. You can introduce them some of the toys that can help improved their motor skills such as drawing and writing, there’s a lot of toys that can provide this in a more creative way so that they will be more interested.

Suitable for child’s interest

At the early age the parents will probably know what their children’s interests, they may be wanting animals, books, music, or may be curious about outer space. Knowing their interest is a very helpful way in choosing the right toys and games for them since they want those things it will be a help to improve the existing interest in their heart.

Uplift Creativity

It is important that you choose that can show their creativity, toys and games that can expand their imagination and desire through it. It can help them to know there self and want they wanted to be.

Is there an educational value?

Every toy has an educational value. They can express what they want to do with it. As a parent we just need to make sure that the toys are safe for them.

Best Educational toys and games

1.   Learning Cube

This learning cube has 6 sides with different function such as number, colors, music, animals sound, alphabet and musical instrument. Perfect for a gift to an infant baby. It is good to use to improve their sense of seeing and hearing and can get attention to your little one.

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Learning Cube
This learning cube is very engaging that can make their curiosity improve by seeing the lights and hearing the sounds. Can catch up their attention as they playing it

2.   Stack & Learn

Has a 5 ring with different color and music which is can be very entertaining, interactive and educational. It is good to improve your children’s brain by identifying the sizes of the ring and colors. Playing Stack & Learn can takes time so that you can work on your errands.

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Stack & Learn
This stack and learn toys can help their hand and eye coordination as they put the rings, thew can see the difference of colors and sizes of the rings which is can help them identifying things

3.   Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube

It is a wooden toy that has a 12 different shapes and colors that you can fit in a wooden box with a hole. Each shape was made to fit on those holes. It is good to use to identify the basic shapes, improving their problem solving and critical thinking on how they Can fit each shapes ion the right holes. They can use it every time since it is educational toys.

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Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube
This wooden toy is a help for your children to identify shapes and promotes problem solving. It also promotes self-confidence as a child able to put the shapes in those holes, sorting is fun!

4.   Toddler Tablet 

It is a good educational toy especially when your child spends a lot of times in gadgets. This tablet is a tablet look alike that has a display on screen with alphabets and music. Perfect substitute for the children who spend a lot of time to gadgets, tablets and video games. They can use it as long as they want since it is educational and not harmful just like the gadgets.

Funshpiel Toddler Tablet
This tablet is an alternative for a real gadget that your kid is using. You can teach them to play this tablet instead than a real one, they could learn alphabets and number through it.

5.   Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker

When a child is starting to learn how to walk, it is a good idea to have this kind of pushcarts with a piano and a pretend telephone and headset. It is good since it is a walker pushcart that can help your children to learn how to walk while learning those shapes and enjoying the toys that is included in pushcart. They can use it as long as they want since it is just a pushcart walker and no harmful effects.

VTech Sit-to-Stand Learning Walker
It is perfect for your children that is starting to learn how to walk while having fun with those toys on it

6.   Soft Baby Books

This kind of book was made of cloth that has a high contrast color that can help stimulate the brain of an infant and to activate brain. With those colors it will get an attention to make you baby interested. The more they use it the more they will be familiar in identifying colors.

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Beiens Soft Baby Books
This book is very suitable for the baby since it is a cloth it will not easily ripped just like the paper books. With those high contrast colors, it will get your baby’s attention. It easy to grip by your baby since it has a handle side by side. It is a perfect toy for our babies with age of 0-12 months because it can help for brain’s development

7.   Matching Letter Game for Kids

This game has a letters and flash card with pictures. You will spell it by those letters on what pictures did the flashcard shows. There is a letters area which where you need to place the letters that the child will spell. It is good because they can improve their spelling skills and critical thinking in identifying pictures while learning to spell it. Using this toy every time will make their brain very keen to details.

Matching Letter Game for Kids
This is a helpful game especially for the ages 3 to 5 years old since they are starting to learn how to write and talk. Analyzing those pictures in flash cards and spell it by those letters is a good help in their development in writing and talking

8.   Learning Clock

This toy has lot to offer, you can teach your kids to learn on how time works there is a quiz mode that your child can determine on working those clock’s hands to minute, seconds and hour and there’s a music with a light that you can use for sleep mode. Teaching them time in early age before they go to school is a lot of help when the time comes that they will learn it from school. Somehow it looks like they advance some learnings at least.

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Learning Clock
This is very helpful for your children to practice and know how to read the clock. There is a music and light as lamp when they are going to sleep. Since there is a quiz mode as well, they can have an activity to improve their motor function, learning those numbers, concentration and memory

9.   Educational Insights Design & Drill

It has kid-friendly drill with a colorful bolt that they can attach to a sturdy building bucket. You can have them create or design using those patterns in bucket when they attach the bolts with the colorful drill that fit to those little hands. It is a good game since they can improve their imagination in this kind of work that they can make them realize that they are really interested in this kind of job, who knows? Maybe your child will be the next most successful engineer!

Educational Insights Design & Drill
This is a very creative, interesting and fun game. It practices their basic engineering and simple construction. It is a great activity for kids to stay engaged and entertained

10.   Musical Instruments

It is a set of a kid-friendly musical instrument, this was made of wood with harmless paint. It was safe around the kids. This toy is made for the kids to enjoy the beat, feel the groove and to be familiar with the different musical instruments. It is good so that they will be aware on those musical instruments and at least they can know on how can a specific musical instrument can be play, with your help they can use it very well. It can be your ultimate bonding with your kids to your busy days.

ToyerBee Musical Instruments
This toy is made for the children to enjoy music, to be familiarize on how to use it, to developed their hand and eye coordination by shaking the maracas, increase hearing stimuli, promote fine motors and stem learning and have fun. Who knows maybe your child will be the next superstar of the best musician.

11.   Animals Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Pattern Blocks

Every child loves puzzles, having an urge to complete a puzzle is a big help to your children. It pictures animals if the puzzle is completed. It was made of wood which is safe to the children. It is good because the way they completed the puzzle, the way they boost their self-confidence, knowing that they have a power to accomplish something great.

LiKee Animals Wooden Jigsaw Puzzles Pattern Blocks
Jigsaw puzzle is every child’s favorite; it will help your children for their hand and eye coordination, motor skills, problem solving and constructive thinking. It is a help also to have breaks in watching tv and using gadgets. By piecing the puzzle together, it is more enjoyable since they can form a cute animal afterwards. Give them these toys to be entertained for hours and you can have time for your chores or yourself.

12.   Melissa & Doug Poke-a-Dot – Old MacDonald’s Farm

This book is really interesting if your children know the song “Old McDonald have a farm” then it will be more interesting. This book has a pictures and drawings of the animals on this song, it also has button to press if you want to know the numbers of the animals and names. It is good since it is musical that can get your kid’s attention. Using this every time can make them memorize the song and be familiarize in a different kind of animals.

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Melissa & Doug Poke-a-Dot – Old MacDonald’s Farm
These toys can help your children to develop their language since it has some buttons that if you press it, it will speak the numbers and animals on it. They can be familiarized in counting numbers and animals and of course the song “Old McDonald have a farm”.

13.   RACPNEL Garbage Truck Toy

It has a 4 truck the garbage, 4 garbage can to be the container of the 40 garbage cards to be sort of. It is a good help for your children to determine the different kinds of waste. You can join them playing this game since you are doing this in your own home. Getting your child be aware on this kind of game can add a helping hand in your home.

RACPNEL Garbage Truck Toy
It is a very good toys since they can learn how to sort garbage and can apply it in your home. It is very big help especially on you if they have an idea on sorting waste

14.   Sensory Pull Along Toddler Infant Baby Tissue Box

This toy was form as a tissue box (cloth made). Since an infant is sometimes nosy about things that they can barge, this toy is a the perfect for them they ca pull the cloth like tissue with a different color that they can appreciate.

Sensory Pull Along Toddler Infant Baby Tissue Box
This toy can help your children identify colors by pulling those cloth tissues.

15.   MAGIFIRE Matching Easter Egg

It has 12 cute eggs with a different shapes and colors with corresponding eggs and holes. Those smooth eggs are perfect for the little hands to grab and open. It is good because while they are imagining that they are cracking eggs just like what they saw you when you are cooking they also learn the different shapes and colors on it. Very interesting right?

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MAGIFIRE Matching Easter Egg
This matching easter egg toy is good for identifying shapes and colors it is more interesting since it looks like they are cracking an egg

16.   Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope

This educational toy has a microscope that your children can look up the provided little picture to see close up.  It is a scientific toy that your children can play to learn and have fun. It is a good especially to the children who is always curious about something. Making them use this toys by using those telescope can satisfied their curiosity while learning.

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Educational Insights GeoSafari Jr. Talking Microscope
This toy is a good one, they can learn to in identifying things on what they see in microscope, they can learn also about the pictures since it has a fact mode which is a trivia about what they saw and a quiz mode which your children can answer upon learning about fact mode.

Final choice

Play is a children’s way to turn the imagination into reality and toys is their tools.[5] The above details can help you to decide on what you really wanted to buy that is suitable for your children. Educational toys and games are a big help for them because infant and toddlers love to play a lot. They are kids and they want to explore things because they are innocent in this world. Above details is also a help to understand the pros and cons of the toys and games. Restriction is the key and the guide of the parent is also a help. They can enjoy their childhood with those toys and games while having fun. Let’s enjoy ourself together with our children while they still young. If we have time, lets join them enjoying and learning from those toys.

Here are some of the top products:

Funshpiel Toddler Tablet, ToyerBee Musical Instruments, RACPNEL Garbage Truck Toy

The toys that were linked above is my top products I could recommend. It has a specific way to teach children because it has a content like the toddler tablet since children nowadays is familiar to a tablet, they will probably love it as a substitute to a real tablet. The musical instruments are a musical content while the garbage truck toy can teach them specifically about sorting waste.

Many toys are not the answer if you really want them to learn. It is not about the number of toys it is about the quality of toys. They don’t need many, what they need is better.


[1] Healey, Aleeya, and Alan Mendelsohn. “Selecting appropriate toys for young children in the digital era.” Pediatrics 143.1 (2019).

[2] Glassy, Danette, Judith Romano, and Committee on Early Childhood, Adoption, and Dependent Care. “Selecting appropriate toys for young children: the pediatrician’s role.” Pediatrics 111.4 (2003): 911-913.

[3] Nugraha, Andri, et al. “The effect of gadget on speech development of toddlers.” Journal of Physics: Conference Series. Vol. 1175. No. 1. IOP Publishing, 2019.

[4] Guyton, Gabriel. “Using toys to support infant-toddler learning and development.” (2011).

[5] Smirnova, Elena O. “Character toys as psychological tools.” International Journal of Early Years Education 19.1 (2011): 35-43.

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Author

Tiffany Biondi

Tiffany Biondi

Mother of 4 kids, Tiffany is a certified childcarer and during her free time, she write posts in thebabychoice to share her hands on experience and knowledge.

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