Modern parents pay great attention to the well-rounded development of their children. That is why they strive to surround a kid with toys and games that develop fine motor skills, coordinate movements of the baby, help one learn about the world, acquire different skills, and awaken the imagination.
Educational games are a very essential part of a child’s life and childcare. The speed of the child’s development largely depends on what games a kid plays. In this case, we are talking about both mental and emotional child development. Therefore, good parents should carefully think about what kind of games to choose for their kids.
Benefits of Educational Toys
Educational toys will help to make a child’s development move in the right direction and provide a smoother and more measured path for the child’s cognition. They will help your baby understand the laws of the physical world, as well as teach you to think logically, fantasize, analyze, and discover creative abilities. All these will be very useful in later life. That is why it is highly recommended to buy educational toys as they not only amuse the child but also help to reveal one’s abilities and talents.
According to scientists and practical psychologists, gameplay with kids serves many useful purposes. It significantly contributes to the development of physical, intellectual, emotional, social, and moral abilities in kids. The key benefits of games that stimulate the child’s mental development are undeniable. Here are just some of the most important features of educational games for kids:
- A child solves certain assigned tasks, using the proposed tools for this – cubes, parts, sticks;
- Most of the tasks differ in complexity. Having solved something simple, a kid will move on to more complex ones. And if something cannot be handled yet, then you need to return to the game a little later. The general interest does not disappear; it only increases forcing a kid to find new unconventional solutions;
- A child learns different ways of providing information because games are different – with tools, drawings, models, etc.;
- Many educational games stimulate imagination and help the baby to develop new tasks on their own, which keeps the interest longer;
- With the proper approach – without pressure from working parents or adults, such games instill independence, teach self-control, the practical application of various acquired knowledge, and self-improvement;
- Another benefit of educational games is the ability to learn through play. It has been proven that for a child, this method of cognition is the most effective and stable.
Modern technologies and game-based learning platforms actively contribute to the improvement and further growth of the benefits of developing online games. Thus, for example, computers can give a child an additional stimulus and opportunity for the development of logic, thinking, creativity, and imagination. Along with classic and not very useful shooters, races, and simulators, educational computer games for children are actively popularized! The latter belongs to the category of interactive, perfectly involved in the learning process, allowing youngsters to better remember information and feel like a direct participant in what is happening on the screen.
Together with vivid impressions and positive emotions that a children’s game can give, a kid will effectively master the letters of the alphabet, learn numbers, learn to count, and improve one’s knowledge of various school disciplines. And all this is possible to achieve in the process of unobtrusive play and without the slightest pressure from the parents!
Types of Games for the Development of Thinking & Logic
Logical thinking is developed in children from an early age. Special games are designed to teach the child to compare, analyze and systematize information, find connections between objects, draw conclusions, and think independently. Such skills will come in handy in the future in mathematics lessons and after-school activity. There are many entertaining options to choose from.
#1 – Coloring Pages
Coloring pages are designed to develop the child’s creativity, the ability to hold a pencil and make their precise movements, to distinguish and remember colors.
#2 – Puzzles
Playing with puzzles, children need to assemble a picture from parts. It’s fun and useful. For the smallest, it is better to choose large puzzles made of soft material. And for older children, sets of small pieces are suitable. Besides challenging children’s minds, jigsaw puzzles can help them improve their critical thinking abilities because they’re taught to think outside the box and see problems from different perspectives. You can browse jigsaw puzzles online at Stellavanandpapa.com.au and get your favorite puzzles delivered to your door! What are you waiting for? Dive in and see for yourself!
#3 – Riddles
Games in which you have to guess and decipher something are very popular with both small and large children. Riddles expand horizons, stimulate mental processes, teach to think logically and intuitively. Thanks to riddles, a child learns more about the world around them. Rebus and charades are a kind of gymnastics for the mind. Thanks to such tasks, a child expands vocabulary, trains to think and write independently.
#4 – Math Games
Teach children simple number manipulation from an early age. Colorful cards, cubes, and books with numbers and funny pictures will help you with this. They will help you to easily introduce your child to the world of numbers, explain the concepts of quantity, counting and arithmetic. Puzzles and construction sets contribute to the development of logic and fine motor skills. With this type of play, the child can practice independently.
How to Find the Right Game for Your Baby?
When deciding on a particular game or toy, you should always remember the age of a child. So how to choose learning app? It is unlikely that a three-year-old baby will be interested in reading an encyclopedia or playing a complex constructor. For younger ages, large and bright toys are suitable. Sorter toys, rattles, musical carousels, and soft cubes with images of cartoon characters on them will help your kid to make the learning process much more interesting and fun. Older children will like educational board games, puzzles, and magnetic games. So you should definitely consider them.
If your kid is of preschool age and has access to a pc or tablet, you can easily control what games one plays. With the help of parental control solutions, you can closely monitor how a kid uses a gadget. You can even enable a screen recorder with audio to always know what your child is doing.
Learn and Have Fun Right Away
Modern technologies can and should be used for the benefit and development of the child. Therefore, children’s interactive tables with touch control and many educational, logical games are actively gaining popularity. Special equipment requires a minimum of space, so it is increasingly appearing in various playrooms in supermarkets, shopping centers, children’s clinics, waiting rooms at railway stations, and airports.
Children’s laughter is always heard near such terminals; kids communicate with each other and actively participate in the game process. And what is more important, such entertainment and leisure are held with the benefit of the young, still forming the consciousness of the child!