| When gift-giving time comes around, either | | | | them to develop and appreciate all their senses. |
| Christmas or a birthday, give a thought to buying | | | | Infant educational toys will incorporate some of |
| a present that will last a long time and boost the | | | | these experiences to help the child relate their |
| learning process for child or children in your life. | | | | play learning with the world around them. You can |
| Educational toys take advantage of a child's | | | | help by exposing your little one to real life |
| natural inclination to learn and encourages them to | | | | situations that they learn about in their books or |
| explore their world and develop new skills. | | | | games. For example, for a toddler, let them help |
| Play is a natural part of the learning process for | | | | you make the bed and feel the different textures |
| children, especially very young ones. When they | | | | in the bedding. Have them with you when you are |
| are born, children have a natural intelligence to | | | | washing so they can see soap suds (kids love |
| process incoming data, but they don't have the | | | | these), if you don't have a lawn or a garden, take |
| facts or information to compare what is coming in | | | | them to the park and spend some time there. |
| with what they have experienced before. | | | | If you are wanting to develop attitudes or traits |
| Toys may just seem like fun for the child (we | | | | in your child, you can do two things that will help, |
| hope so as this is what we want for them), but | | | | give them educational toys and let them see that |
| they are really educational because the child can | | | | you do those same actions yourself. For example, |
| learn while they enjoy the time spent with the | | | | if you want your child to read more, you need to |
| toy. Play time is learning time for children; learning | | | | have books in your home and you have to |
| about the world around them and how things | | | | actually read them so that your child sees you |
| work, what seems to bring good results and what | | | | reading them. The old "do what I say, not what I |
| seems to be not so good. | | | | do" will not work for little children. They will do |
| It will start with basics like the sounds they hear | | | | whatever it is that they see the people around |
| from family, pets, household noises like speech, | | | | them doing. That is how they learn. |
| water running, saucepans rattling and outside | | | | When children are exposed to educational toys |
| noises like other animals, traffic and weather. | | | | and games, it expands their world and they will |
| Then there is tactile learning, the feel of objects in | | | | embrace learning more readily and feel |
| the home, a fluffy blanket, the smooth surface of | | | | comfortable with it. There are many good quality |
| their plate and the grass or bricks outside. Let | | | | learning games and systems available, so it is |
| them smell a scented flower, smell their food and | | | | worth investing in one of them to help your child's |
| drink or any other scent in the home. This helps | | | | development. |