How to Choose the Right Educational Toys for Different Ages

Educational toys play a significant role in a child's development, helping them develop essential skills like problem-solving, creativity, and motor functions. However, many educational toys are on the market. Hence, selecting suitable educational toys for kids in different age groups can be challenging because each age has unique learning needs. 

Here is a guide on the best practices in choosing educational toys across various age brackets and what makes a toy truly beneficial for kids' growth. 

What Makes Good Educational Toys for Kids?

In choosing children's educational toys, one should consider how well a toy aligns with a child's developmental stage. The best toys balance fun with learning, helping children acquire knowledge and skills as they play. 

Here's what to look for in kids study toys:

• Active Participation and Mental Stimulation Toys

These are active and interestingly interactive toys that make children's minds work. Examples: puzzles, building blocks, and learning toys.

• Age-appropriate ones

The best educational toys for different ages must fit the cognitive abilities and interests of every age group; a child cannot be frustrated or bored with the toy's uses.

• Skill-Building Potential

Good educational items should help develop specific skills, such as language, motor coordination, creativity, and problem-solving abilities.

Things To Avoid While Choosing Educational Toys

Sometimes, selecting suitable educational toys for kids can be challenging, considering the wide range of options in the current market. Here's what you must avoid when choosing the best educational toys.

• Overly Complicated Toys

Although some kids toys are an attempt to introduce advanced concepts, they overwhelm younger children. So, they should opt for only those educational items that suit their cognitive level.

• Over-Reliance on Technology

Some popular toys children get nowadays are interactive and digital. Too much of the former might restrict the child's creative play capabilities. A balance between tech-based toys and hands-on social toys will help enhance a kid's creativity level.

• Poor-quality Material

Toys for toddlers must be safe, long-lasting, and non-toxic, as small children sometimes put toys in their mouths.

Best Educational Toys for Different Ages 

Here are some of the best educational toys for kids of different age groups from Snooplay that you must include in your little one’s playtime and make learning more engaging and fun.

Educational Toys for 0-2 Years

This is that period of sensory and motor skill development. So, choose toys that provide sensory stimulation, such as touch and sound. Buying toys that will encourage exploration and contribute to hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and other things is recommended.

Some of the best educational toys for 2-year-olds and younger are as follows:

• 7 in 1 Wooden Activity Triangle

This is a multi-activity toy that challenges babies and toddlers to enhance fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. Since all the diverse pieces, such as a fidget spinner, abacus, rainbow and weather puzzle, teaching clock, and alphabets, are present in this wooden activity triangle, it attracts a sort of discovery and resolution overall, making it an excellent source of learning in the early years.

• Activity Walker for Kids

This activity walker promotes walking and mobility in kids. Besides aiding a child in his initial steps, this activity walker would keep him curious due to plenty of interactive features. The push walker has a xylophone toy along with different attractive and colorful beads and geometric shapes. Also, it has cute animal toys that your children can play with.

• Talking Cactus Baby Toys

This playful talking cactus baby toy has many English songs and a record dialogue function, which means it records the speech you said and will repeat it afterward. Further, it has color lights captivating the babies who love glimmers. The fun part is that it can dance, creating a joyful atmosphere for babies.

• Magic Water Coloring Set

Our Magic Water Colour set is a creative and mess-free way of introducing your little ones to drawing and colouring. This colouring set for kids uses water to develop colours, allowing children to create while exercising fine motor skills, i.e., learning to hold and handle the brush. This can be a perfect idea for children's birthday gifts.

Educational Toys for 3-6 Years

At this age, children start developing knowledge of languages, simple mathematics, and problem-solving skills. Interactive educational toys for boys and girls can be of great use in their imaginative play.

Some recommended children’s gifts for this age group are:

• Alphabet Double-Sided Flash Cards

These Double sided Alphabet flashcards can be used to teach the kids about the alphabet and its sounds. You can employ them with some games that make learning engaging, thus helping children recognise the alphabet early. The backside of the cards also includes some more words and activities that can further develop their skills.

• Cognitive Skill Workbook

Our Cognitive skill workbooks consist of activity sheets, matching activities, and other thinking games that improve mental activity. It provides child with some structured learning material that could be completed independently or with the guidance of an adult. The set of 24 activities also includes data handling, Venn diagrams, a sports maze, coding, and so on.

• Number Fun Bongo for Kids

This fun Number card game is a great way to introduce your kids to group play. Here, the caller calls out a number, and the other players have to mark the number on their playing cards and shout BONGO to win. It was a fantastic, fun play for 5 years and above.

Educational Toys for 7-12 Years

At this age, kids love challenges and creativity. Due to engagement with these toys, children develop logical reasoning, strategy, and overall cognitive ability.

The list of toys for this category are:

• Mechanix Beginner—Bulldozer

This is a construction bulldozer set where kids learn to build various models. It teaches engineering skills combined with an understanding of mechanisms and encourages imaginative play from the designs that the kid will create. It comes with all the essential tools and parts to make two models. It helps enhance STEM and creativity in your child. This can also be a fantastic educational gift for 10-year-old kids.

• 7 Activities Jumbo Teaching Clock and Calendar

This clock and calendar activity toy makes it super easy for your little one to learn the concept of clocks and calendar. It helps them understand how daily routines are conducted and builds their organisational skills. With its colourful panda-themed design, it looks attractive and keeps your kid entertained for hours.

• IPO The Stock Market Board Game

This educational stock market board game for children is entertaining and based on the fundamental aspects of investing and financial literacy. In this game, children learn about stock markets, trading strategies, and economic principles, and the players are expected to think strategically and make decisions accordingly.

Educational Toys for 13-17 Years

Teenagers generally engage in abstract thinking and have more specialized interests, so toys based on subjects such as physics, coding, and robotics make perfect sense to give them.

Playing with these toys prepares them for possible future educational ventures.

Such learning toys include:

• AI Robotics Kit

This AI Robotics Kit allows teenagers to open a new world of robotics when they build their self-created robots. It is a tool for learning through STEM education, which encourages creativity and direct building. This is one such extraordinary kit for young innovators. Another thing is that it doesn't require any soldering or programming; plug it in and play. It will be an excellent toy for boys.

• 6 in 1 Hybrid Solar Kit Series

This Solar Kit for kids can aid in training teenagers on renewable sources by encouraging them to build different solar-powered models. It creates awareness about taking care of the environment and gives knowledge of handling solar technology daily. With this, one can make six different models: a windmill, revolving plane, puppy, airboat, car, and airplane.

• Ramayana Board Game

This Ramayana board game, enriched with our culture, will teach teens the beautiful value of Indian mythology, helping them become strategic thinkers. It can captivate everyone with its natural storytelling.

Educational toys and kits, particularly those that focus on specific skills, may encourage a child to love learning. Whether your child is a toddler or a teenager, the appropriate educational items like puzzles or action figure toys can make learning enjoyable.

Snooplay is the best platform to help you search the right kids toys online for different age groups, be it kids or young adults. Buy and/or sell with us and make a difference in parenting young ones with contemporary games and toys. 

FAQs

1. How vital is play-based learning in educational toys? 

Play-based learning is vital because children learn naturally when they are playing. It enforces learning concepts by actually doing; thus, it is entertaining and very effective.

2. How can I incorporate educational toys into daily play? 

You can arrange assorted educational items throughout the play area to provide a varied setting. Change your child's toys every week to make the environment refreshing and exciting. If you combine social toys and puzzles, your kid will be encouraged to learn diversely.

3. How often should I update my child's educational toys? 

You should update the toys properly, especially after crossing specific developmental milestones. Adding new toys can make play exciting and challenging for kids. Opt for toys that grow along with children's skills, such as the one Snooplay provides for different age groups, encouraging varied levels of complexity.