Buying the Right Educational Toys isn’t as Easy as It Seems

March 14, 2017 – – Somasix responds to rocketing sales of traditional educational toys.

In the last year, sales of traditional toys and puzzles have increased rapidly. The latest findings from the Toy Association Industry reveal that games and puzzles, along with infant, toddler and preschool toys, have risen in popularity, achieving sales increases of up to 18 percent.

Interestingly, the statistics show only a small increase in sales of children’s electronics, highlighting an increasing desire among parents to go back to basics, with a growing focus on developing children’s cognitive and early learning skills.

Overall, the US toy market grew to an unprecedented $20.36 billion in 2016, marking a five percent increase on 2015’s figures.

Toy seller Somasix comments that parents today face a dilemma when choosing appropriate toys and games for children; in a world where electronics prevail, knowing which investments will best support children’s development can be a challenge.

Countless studies have proven the positive effect of playtime on a child’s development, being a good way to release energy, develop crucial skill sets and encourage learning through experience. “This is where making the right choice comes into play, especially for parents and guardians,” says Obada Yousif, Somasix founder.

Yousif adds: “Educational toys are not just toys to preoccupy a child – these toys are specifically designed to develop certain skills, like problem-solving and understanding cause and effect. Playtime with educational games and puzzles can also enhance fine motor skills and self-esteem, enable children to feel independent and boost creativity.

“A child’s development starts as early as infancy. Parents and adults can provide educational toys appropriate to their age to aid children’s growth,” says Yousif.

Choosing Age-Appropriate Toys

Somasix shares expert insights to help parents in making the right buying decision:

For children aged between one and 12 months old, provide toys that enable sensory play, such as mobiles, soothers and infant play gyms. Infants of this age are just starting to develop their senses – these toys help promote sight, touch and sound development, as well as better hand-eye coordination. Consider introducing interactive toys that will continue to stimulate babies’ sight and hearing with vivid colors, flashing lights and different sounds.

As a child’s growth progresses, their toys should reflect and support this development. Stacking blocks, for example, promote understanding of cause and effect and provide a confidence boost as youngsters figure out for themselves how a toy works. Consider active playtime – dance mats with lights and sounds are visual and interactive, exciting children and encouraging them to move around.

Toddlers aged 12-24 months old are very active, more mobile and curious about their environment. Moving toys they can control, such as push-along cars, provide an opportunity to build motor skills. This is a good time to introduce numbers, too – count steps together to familiarize youngsters with counting from an early age.

Toddlers are also developing their recognition skills – between 12 and 18 months, children will start to register more information, such as animal sounds, and themed playsets can be beneficial at this time. As speech is developing now too, shapes, objects, and colors become more memorable and pretend play provides an interesting outlet for practicing speech.

Children aged two and over are ready to develop physically and creatively – ride-on toys like tricycles, and blank canvases for painting on, are ideal at this age, along with visual books with images and colorful magnetic letters and numbers to stimulate literacy and intellectual processing.

Somasix, a manufacturer of ABC magnets, affirms that studies have linked better language learning among children when they associate words with letters and colors.

“Color reading has been proven effective in helping young children understand the language better, which makes educational toys like magnetic letters and numbers highly recommended for children at this age,” said Obada Yousif, founder of Somasix.

Learning and playing go hand in hand for children’s development and Somasix is committed to making every opportunity count.

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Contact Somasix:

Obada Yousif
315-636-4466
learn@somasix.com
Highfields, Ballindinas
Wexford, Ireland

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