We’ve all seen the movie Jingle All the Way where Arnold Swaznegger goes through a lot of trouble to get his son the latest action figure. The mad, last minute dash to the store, the hustling and bustling for the limited edition toy was just hilarious and most parents could relate to that too, I suppose.
But, a leading child specialist has come up with the startling observation that young children, esp. those under 5-year-old are better off playing with basic toys. Nicky Woollaston, director and author of children’s development website ‘Growing Tiny Minds’ says that parents should widen the variabilities while buying toys for their children.
The hospital play specialist at Christchurch Public Hospital and a registered early childhood teacher, Woollaston believes board games, drawing, ball games and climbing help develop motor skills and intellect better in young kids than toys and gadgets with complicated features.
The mother of three said that though manufacturers today are focusing on making more elaborate and complicated toys, simpler and more basic toys like puzzles and building blocks are better for young kids. She says,
They have more benefit for the child’s development than having a whiz bang toy with lots of bells and whistles. You see them just sitting there pushing the same button again and again, then they get up and walk away.
Food for thought, isn’t it? If people take her words seriously, childhood can go back to being simpler and fun again for our kids, who are under so much pressure to grow up faster and get comfortable with complicated technology at a very early age.
Source: Stuff
