Children learn so much through the simple activity of play. And while all play can be beneficial to their growth, there are some toys and activities that can enhance their learning and development all while they are having loads of fun!
Let’s check out some of our favorite activities and toys that help kids grow and develop while enjoying themselves!
Activities and Toys That Help Kids Grow
Playdoh
Playdoh is an amazing toy for kids for so many reasons!
It triggers their creativity and imagination when they use playdoh to create different objects and characters. It also helps hone their fine motor skills as they continue to grow.
Working with playdoh and trying to create tiny objects like little balls, arms, or legs for a little playdoh man, or utilizing stamps and gently working the playdoh shapes out of the stamps give a child plenty of practice to fine-tune those fine motor skills of theirs.
Legos and Blocks
Playing with Legos and blocks is another great activity for a growing and developing child!
Deciding to build something freehand or by a set of plans requires planning, problem-solving, and following directions, all of which are critical thinking skills that every child needs to learn and develop.
Magformers
Similar to blocks and Legos, Magformers tap into those planning and problem-solving skills that we talked about while also teaching them lessons about science.
Learning about magnetic fields and how they work is a fun and simple science lesson for kids that can easily be incorporated into play with magnetic blocks.
Play Kitchen and House
Playing kitchen and house with their friends teaches kids ideas about family life, responsibility, and creativity.
Kids learn about getting along as a family as they play out different family roles of parents and children. They practice living out the responsibilities of these different roles as well, whether they are responsible for caring for someone, cooking, cleaning, or helping. And they are able to practice creativity as they “cook” meals for their pretend family.
Puzzles
Puzzles are a great problem-solving toy that requires kids to slow down, assess every aspect of a situation, and make an educated decision based on the assessment. And there is a clear right answer each time—a piece either fits or it doesn’t.
A puzzle is also great because it has a clear, finished, and satisfying outcome and comes with a sense of accomplishment.
These are some of our favorite developmental toys and activities that we use to help kids grow while having fun! What are some of your favorites?