How to Choose Toys for a Preschooler
Toys aren't just simple items that occupy your child or keep her busy when she's not off at preschool, soccer, ballet or any other pint-sized activity. According to the National Association for the Education of Young Children, preschoolers need ample opportunities to use toys in playtime situations. Choosing an appropriate toy that matches your child's age and ability level can help her to learn new skills across all of the developmental domains -- social, emotional, cognitive and physical. With the right choices, your preschooler can take what seems like child's play to learning lessons that feature active exploration and the use of creativity.
Instructions
Take your child's developmental stage and level into mind. Consider your preschool-aged child's ability to use his hands and fingers in coordination, sit for extended periods of time, interact with his peers and use his large -- or gross -- motor movements. Adjust your overall toy selection based on what he currently does and what you feel that he is capable of doing. Evaluate the safety of the toy. Check the packaging to make sure that it clearly says the toy is intended for your child's age. Avoid anything that has sharp parts or has visible tears in the exterior fabric or material. Select a range of open-ended toys that allow your child to play in multiple ways. Include items that you might not typically think of as toys, such as a cardboard box that your child can transform into a spaceship, train, car, playhouse or any other imaginative object. Play up your preschooler's budding problem-solving abilities. Choose toys that help her cognitive -- or mental reasoning -- skills such as puzzles with between 12 and 20 pieces or sorting objects. Provide plenty of opportunities for your preschool-aged child to build his fine motor skills, such as eye-hand coordination and dexterity. Include blocks and other manipulatives such as stringing beads. Look for toys that encourage creative expression. Pick out art materials such as crayons, markers, paints and paper along with musical items, including child-sized instruments. Include toys that encourage gross motor development. Choose age-appropriate items such as a tricycle, soft play balls or a T-ball set. Encourage your preschooler's social development by picking out a few interactive board or card games. Select simple games that don't require your child to read or follow lengthy, multistep directions. Pick games that also help other areas of development or build content knowledge of numbers, colors or shapes.
