Children as young as toddlers learn best by doing. By pursuing her particular interests, your child can learn new skills through play at her own speed. Your child’s access to toys and other playthings can have a significant impact on how she develops.

Even though it would seem that choosing toys for toddlers should be simple, the only thing that is simple when you enter a toy store nowadays is feeling overwhelmed. For the toddler market, a wide variety of toys have been created. Which ones are best for your child, and how do you decide? How can you know which products are durable and high-quality? Which will keep your kid’s attention for more than a few days or weeks? Here are some suggestions for selecting toys that will challenge your child, support her general development, and grow with your child.

Toddlers enjoy taking apart, putting back together, taking out, adding to, and building things. Pick “open-ended” toys for your child so that they can play a variety of games with them. For instance, a road, a zoo, a bridge, or a spaceship can be constructed out of large interlocking wooden or chunky plastic pieces. These kinds of toys encourage your child’s imagination while also fostering his capacity for logical thought and problem-solving. For instance, toys for sand and water play; blocks; interlocking blocks; nesting blocks or cups; etc.

Everybody has had the experience of purchasing a toy that their child uses for two days and then never again. By looking for toys that can be enjoyed at various developmental stages, you can prevent that. Small plastic animals, for instance, might be entertaining for a young child who may create a shoebox home for them, or for an older child who can use them to act out a story she thinks up. Children have the opportunity to repeatedly practice new abilities while playing. Toys that allow children to solve problems independently or with some guidance help them develop their capacity for logical thought and help them become persistent problem solvers. Additionally, they support the growth of children’s spatial connections abilities, hand-eye coordination, and fine motor skills. Examples include games, shape-sorting tools, building blocks, nesting cups, and clay, paint, crayons, and play dough.

In his third year, your child’s creativity begins to blossom since he can now assume different personas and think that things are genuinely different. In order to help your youngster create and act out stories, look for items that he can use. Playing pretend improves one’s linguistic and reading abilities as well as their capacity for sequencing and problem-solving. Examples: Dress-up attire, building blocks, plastic dishes and bowls, action figures, stuffed animals, dolls, trains, and vehicles, as well as “real-life” accessories like a wrapping paper tube for your kid. Toddlers love the giant cardboard box, which can be transformed into anything their imaginations can think of, including houses, pirate ships, barns, and tunnels.

Your youngster is getting better at figuring out how everyday objects, such as light switches and television remote controls, operate. She also wants to play with your “real” things, like your phone, because she wants to grow up to be strong and mature like you. These kinds of toys aid in the development of children’s fine motor skills, spatial relations (how things go together), and problem-solving abilities.