4 Effective Tips To Maximize the Effectiveness of Toy-Based Learning

Kids learn through the experiences they encounter around them. They leverage their senses to know and understand things. Therefore it is essential to surround the kids with things that will spark their imagination, create more curiosity, and encourage them to learn through play. Various scientists have lauded the significance of toy-based learning through countless studies and research. The government of India is also taking profound steps to incorporate toy based learning in the academic curriculum of preschools, primary schools, and even high schools. Following the Prime Minister's vision of "Vocal for Local," aligned with the New Education Policy 2020, Dr. Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Minister of State for Education, emphasizes the role of learning toys in the cognitive development and growth of children and sparks the necessary creativity to learn life skills like problem-solving, decision-making and creativity.  

Parents play a critical and transformative role in their child's cognitive growth and development. They have the decision power to make conscious choices for their kids' learning. They can incorporate toy based learning in their lives by encouraging learning in their social lives as well. Parents can choose educational gifts for kids and set the correct precedence to encourage learning. Kids can also indulge in gifting educational gifts to their friends and peers. That way, the parents can create a learning atmosphere for their kids at their homes and educational institutes. Though learning and educational toys can substantially change the learning dynamics of kids, parents must understand that it's essential to choose suitable toys for their kids. With the right strategies, parents can maximize the learning effects for their kids. To help you enhance your child's learning capabilities, here are four effective tips to maximize the effectiveness of educational and learning toys for their kids. 

 1. Choose suitable learning and educational toys. 

There are plenty of educational toy manufacturers in India, each of which has its distinct specialties. They put ample time and money into the research and development of designing educational toys based on the learning needs of kids from various age groups. Kids at an early age need to get acquainted with basic shapes, colours, textures and patterns. As they grow up, their cognitive skills improve as well. That means, with time, they can recognize and distinguish complex shapes, patterns and distinct color. They can associate things with each other based on their knowledge base over the years. That way, they can enhance their learning capabilities and build on that foundation of learning with each coming day. Therefore, parents must choose suitable learning toys for their kids to ensure optimal cognitive growth. 

2. Know your child's learning needs 

Every kid is unique, and parents must acknowledge and appreciate this uniqueness. Some kids find their calling in colours, while some love to play around with mechanical and moving parts for hours. Though toys may seem like a medium to pass the time for kids, toys are beyond the plaything. They are instruments of learning and should be treated like one. When you provide your kids with the right knowledge, material and resources, you shape their future by helping them learn the necessary things to enhance their knowledge base and spark their creativity. Suppose your child loves to play with colours and seems more interested in games and activities around colour identification. In that case, you must explore that avenue by choosing the toys that enhance colour identification and utilization. These toys will improve your kids' colour and pattern recognition abilities and help them excel in their passion. 

3. Embrace the right habits for yourself 

Human beings are creatures of habits. They form habits over the years by following similar and repetitive tasks over and over. Hence if you do it strategically, you can enhance your child's habits by exposing them to suitable activities and knowledge. It may sound exaggerated, but your habits reflect on your child's behavior and habits. If you are constantly on your phone, your child is more likely to get addicted to the phone in future. Kids learn through imitation, and you, overusing your smartphone, directly encourage your child to use the smartphone. Many parents today use smartphones as an escape from parenting. They hand a smartphone to their toddler to stop them from crying. They are exposed to content and information that isn't made from them. They consume and absorb information that has adverse effects on their learning system.  

On the other hand, parents who read more are more likely to encourage their kids to read. Such kids observe their parents while reading and start doing the same. Therefore you must be aware of what you do when you are around kids. Your actions and behavior have a profound impact on your brain and cognitive skills. Kids exposed to violence and anger at an early age grow up with difficulties in controlling their anger and physical actions. If you read more, paint more and write more, your kids are more likely to follow in your footsteps. 

4. Empower your child's interests 

If you closely observe your child while playing, you will gain helpful insights into their personality. You can observe how they play with toys and how they handle failure of not being able to complete the task they intend to do. You can also observe how they behave when they perform a task successfully, such as putting the right shape in the shape sorter game. These observations will help you understand your child's interests so that you can make the right decisions regarding their learning. If your kids like to paint more and are also good with it, it wouldn't make sense to force them to do anything else. Instead, you can offer them the resources to enhance their learning and encourage them to follow their interests. That way, your child will grow with a sense of purpose and will know what they like and want to do in life.  

Kids are like clay. As a parent, you can shape that clay the way you want. But be conscious that your ignorance and negligence can severely affect your child's growth. You must always be aware and mindful of your actions and know how they reflect on your kid. Choosing the right educational toys will help your child to set on the right path of learning and put a strong foundation for their future. All that starts with choosing suitable educational toys for your kids.