Nesting Toys in Early Childhood Development

Nesting toys come in various shapes, sizes and materials, and are a classic toy, especially beneficial in early childhood. When your child manipulates nesting toys, he is gaining many important developmental skills with each use. Encourage your child to explore a nesting set as more than just a group of different-sized objects that go together, to further the benefits of this simple toy.

  1. Fine Motor Skill Development

    • The act of pulling apart and putting back together objects encourages the very important development of fine motor skills in your child. Fine motor skills involve the smaller movements of hands and fingers that lead to self-feeding, dressing, drawing and eventually writing. Encourage your child to both stack and nest the nesting toy pieces for maximum fine motor development practice.

    Versatility

    • Nesting toys need not be just for nesting. Babies will enjoy stacking and nesting the toys, but can also use the toy in their daily imaginative play, such as pretending the pieces are bowls or accessories for their play kitchen, using for scooping and pouring in the bathtub or even as a silly hat. In addition, every time a child discovers a new and innovative use for a known toy, he is developing his critical thinking skills.

    Problem Solving Skills

    • It may seem simple to us, but a young child will be challenged at first by the different sizes of objects in a nesting toy. Watch for the glee and excitement on your baby's face the first time he manages to stack the pieces in the correct order, but realize that the process of making mistakes when attempting to nest the pieces is also an important part of cognitive development. Comparing different sizes and finding the correct order, as well as working through frustration to come up with a solution, are important skills for children to gain.

    Creativity

    • Most nesting toys come without the bright flashing lights and stimulating sounds, which is actually a benefit. A nesting set, whether made of plastic or wood, in bright colors or natural shades, should be simple. Your child does not need instruction from the toy, but rather will benefit from the opportunity to use the nesting toy in whichever way he sees fit. Simple toys, like nesting sets, allow babies to develop creativity and ingenuity as they create new and interesting uses and games not dictated by specific instructions.

    2. Previous:

    Next: