Selecting toys for young children - Essay Example

Selecting Toys for Young Children Play is a natural activity for young children since it provides opportunity for them to learn and grow physically, mentally and socially. As such, one activity that is synonymous with children is play and toys are their everyday tool. With this in mind, it is mandatory to select appropriate toys for children, and this is dependent in the age bracket that they are situated. This paper will be a discussion of the toys that are appropriate for children between the ages of 3 to 5 and the reason why they are deemed appropriate.

Toys for children between 3 and 5 years are known as pre-school toys since these children are in their preschool years. In as much as these toys are meant to stimulate children’s imagination and encourage learning safety the quality of the toys must be ensured (The Kiwi Families Team, 1). Some of the toys that are appropriate for this age group include building blocks and accessories, modeling dough, paint, crayons and collage materials. Tricycles and trolleys as well as jigsaw puzzles would are also encouraged (The Kiwi Families Team, 1).

Modeling DoughModeling dough is clean clay like substance that is used for modeling. It is reusable and as such children can use it for longer periods. Most of the time, children will poke, roll and squash this dough but as they do that they develop fine motor skills. Modeling clay appeals to kids in that while they are playing with it, they get amazed and wonder at how far the clay can stretch or how they would make one piece stick to another and these will prompt their problem solving skills.

Parents should choose this toy for their children since motor development is one of the crucial phases of life and these toys help children develop it, it also boosts imagination. Modeling clay is not messy; children simply need to wash their hands after using this dough (Goodson, 21). In addition to this, children who have talent in the crafts can be discovered early by paying attention to the things that they make with modeling clay and these talents can be nurtured early enough. As such, parents should select this toy for their children since it can unveil unique talents that they have.

Building Blocks According to the Kiwi Families Team, another toy that most toy manufacturers recommend for preschoolers is building blocks. These are always plastic and can be in the model of a farm animal, car or building. They are always big blocks that can be inter-connected to build things such as houses, vehicles and a variety of other things. With these pieces, children around four years can spend hours on end building cities with various streets in between (1). Building blocks are good for children in this age group since it boosts awareness of their surrounding since most of the time they build what they see around them.

However, parents should ensure that the pieces are not very small since children may swallow them. DollsA doll is also a good toy choice for children between 3 to 5 years. These are miniature human beings that children use to play. Most of them are female though there are also male dolls. Dolls are good in that they help children develop socially when they take turns in sharing the dolls that they are playing with when they are in a group. In addition to this, children learn of the different sexes expected roles in the society since girls will be observed to wash their dolls and make them clean the house while boys may be observed making their dolls sit on toy cars exhibiting the masculine association to cars.

Parents should buy dolls for their children since through observation on how they play with them they will know of the social skills that they have and possibly make amends on any undesirable behavior if noted (Goodson, 27). Play is important for children, thus toys, which are the main item while they are doing this must be well selected. The quality, security and age of the child must be put into considering while deciding on the toy choice. This is due to the fact that toys stimulate various aspects of a child’s development and must be selected in such a way that they boost positive development socially, mentally and psychologically.

Works CitedGoodson, Barbara. Which Toy for Which Child: Ages Birth Through Five Washington DC: U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission (2012). http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/285.pdfThe Kiwi Families Team. Preschool Toys: 3-5 years (2012). Retrieved on 22nd November 2012 from http://www.kiwifamilies.co.nz/articles/preschool-toys-3-5-years/UC Davis Cancer Center. Children Learn Through Play (2006). Retrieved on 22nd November 2012 from http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/CANCER/pedresource/pedres_docs/ChildrenLearnThruPlay.pdf