Four Basic Toys Every Toddler Should Have

Posted on: 29 October 2017

These days, there are more baby toys than ever before. You'll find toys that light up, spin, make noises, and even teach your child a foreign language. But while these innovative toys are all fun to play with, there are still some more basic toys that can teach your toddler important skills in a safe, effective way. Here are four basic toys every toddler should have:

Blocks

You don't need anything fancy that sticks together or makes a certain shape. Some plain wooden blocks in a variety of sizes and colors are perfect for teaching your toddler how to be creative, balance objects on one another, and even knock things down. As they create stacks and watch as they do or do not tumble, they will learn how gravity behaves (though of course, they won't understand what gravity is yet). They can also sort the blocks by shape and color, which teaches them to recognize similarities and differences.

Shape Ball

Shape balls have been around for decades. They are big plastic balls with holes in the sides, and they come with some plastic shapes that fit through the holes. A shape ball may seem simple, but it can entertain your toddler for hours as they try to put the shapes through various holes and figure out where they fit. The shape ball teaches your child spacial recognition. (They have to learn to match the square with the square, and so forth). It also helps expand their memory, since they have to remember where each shape goes after they empty the ball and fill it again.

Board Books

Toddlers are not ready to read yet, but it is very important that you read to them and let them explore the pictures in the book as you read. This helps improve their brain development, and it also prepares them for the idea of reading on their own, later on. Since toddlers like to rip and grab pages, board books really are the best choice at this stage. These books have hard, cardboard "pages" that your toddler can grab onto and poke at without destroying. 

A Ball

A soft, rubbery, colorful ball is another essential for your toddler. They can do so many different things with the ball, from tossing it, to dribbling it, to rolling it. Playing with a ball will teach them how the force they exert on something affects its motion, which will come in handy later on when they learn to write, color, and play sports.

Buy baby toys online for more information and assistance. 

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