(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) Toys need not be expensive but must be age appropriate and foster learning development and digital devices are not a great choice.
Photo Courtesy: Igor Emmerich/Corbis Images
All kids love toys — this is a fact — from the basic to the most advanced type. What toys are age-appropriate is still debatable. However a consensus among parents and educators is that toys do not have to be expensive but have to be safe and should foster a child’s learning development.
But when should learning really start
According to Katia Rassadina a teacher and a mother parents should start as early as during pregnancy to build learning into their new daily routine and this should include singing and reading.
Mara Silvia Gamberoni a nursery principal in Abu Dhabi said that children learn everywhere — at home at school or in the playground — and play with just about anything.
“During a birthday party you will see that instead of playing with the actual toys that you carefully wrapped they play with empty boxes or with the wrapping paper” said the educator of 11 years.
Toys should have a purpose
“Toys are also without doubt important and should be chosen carefully and according to age. I am the kind of mum who spends time choosing the right toys and books. I always make sure the toys are safe different and each one has its purpose. We are talking motor skills hand-eye coordination hearing etc. Sensory play should be parents’ number one priority alongside reading. I love sorters live sand kinetic sand grains and cereals little toys in frozen water different materials to play with” said Rassadina who has a six-month-old daughter Vera.
Household toys
Do all toys have to be bought then Not really.
“Some toys we can make ourselves and kids love to play with household things” Rassadina pointed out.
“To be honest I use my own resources and recycle what I have at home. I choose what they really like as it’s more fun that way like all the items you have in your kitchen. You give them a bowl with dry pasta and dry rice child-friendly spoon whichever I have in the kitchen they have fun with them. Of course it’s important to have a new generation toys but there are many items that are easy to use at home” related Gamberoni who is also a mum of a five-year old girl Irene.
Katia and daughter Vera. -Supplied photo
Tanya Cramer a jewellery designer and also a mum said her two-year old son Christian has always been fascinated with playing with her kitchen utensils and cleaning equipment preferring them over his expensive toys.
“He loves to play with brush vacuum cleaner all the cleaning stuff for the floors” said Cramer.
“When we were kids we didn’t have these selections now they have bigger choices so we keep on buying — everything from cars lego airplane bicycle scooters — and he still does not pay attention to them. He plays with nothing. But when I make jewellery he plays with the beads” she related.
Heike Mostegl said she would have preferred to be more creative with toys and make them herself for her two-year-old daughter Maya. However her busy work schedule as a chef takes this opportunity away and have to rely on those sold commercially.
“I would have preferred the traditional toys best are made of wood but these are difficult to get. But there are also some good digital ones” she said.
Traditional or digital toys
With this day and age children as young as newborns are immediately exposed to digital technology. Although this is unavoidable Rassadina recommends introducing them at a later stage.
“Child psychology does not recommend to start with digital toys or cartoons earlier than three years of age. If you can stay without them longer even better for various reasons. For example cartoon characters and their voices contribute badly to speech development” she said adding that putting a kid in front of a TV or an iPad while feeding also creates bad eating patterns and unhealthy habits that could lead to disorder and obesity.
“Digital toys and cartoons can start at three to five years of age but it is not recommended to use them more than five minutes per day for toddlers and more than 15 minutes for kids and hopefully not everyday and not at all for babies.”
“Digital devices cause addictions real addictions just like drugs. The younger the child the easier he gets addicted and more sensitive he is to all side effects of addiction like aggression. So really the longer you wait to expose your kids to all (things) digital the better” Rassadina who has been teaching children of various ages for 10 years stressed.
“There must be a balance between the old method and the new IT toys such as iPod. Like what Maria Montessori said it’s important for children to practise and experience with their hands but since we’re now in 2014 they need also to learn and understand this world (of technology)” Gamberoni who has also worked with special needs children pointed out.
Cramer noted how her son gets interested on her mobile phone when she speaks into it.
“They are interested in the use of mobiles a lot as they are trying to learn and we are the educators that should set an example for them so we’d better behave” Gamberoni cautioned.
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