When it comes to parenting, the most important thing is to provide the best for your children, whether it’s the selection of clothes, making nutritious meals or finding intriguing and educational toys that may aid their development.
Appropriate toys for your child’s age will kickstart the educational process and trigger their growth. Toys and other fun activities can help your youngster gain motor skills and understand how certain items work. For instance, when your child stacks toy rings or plays with sensory blocks, he is learning about their shapes and how objects stimulate the senses. And when your baby is teething and needs the comfort of the right toy, the value of toy materials becomes critical.
This just goes to show how important it is to choose the proper toys. And most often, the decision comes down to wooden vs. plastic toys. So, let’s try to solve this dilemma first.
Wooden vs. Plastic Toys
With the endless options and very little information known about the content of these materials, it’s only natural to want the best for your child when shopping for baby kids toys. Let’s face it, the far more commercialized toys are made of plastic, and they come in more colorful options that will pique your child’s interest. However, when it comes to quality, wood clearly outperforms. Plus, there are several crucial reasons why wood toys are better than plastic, which we’ll explain in the following paragraph.
Health Concerns and Safety
Wood is not just eco friendly but it’s safer than plastic. When your kid engages in playing with toys, you should be wary of any ingestion of plastics that can affect the health and development of your child.
Certain plastics are known to contain hazardous compounds to humans and should be avoided. Children are particularly vulnerable to these dangerous chemicals because their immune systems and bodies are more sensitive to infections and other contaminants. What’s a little amount for an adult may be too large and lead to major consequences for a child. Chewing on a plastic toy leaves small holes allowing chemicals from the object to enter the child’s mouth.
A very harmful agent that is contained in plastic toys is BPA or Bisphenol A chemical. BPA is considered to be a hormone disrupter and is deemed to be more dangerous for youngsters who are prone to chewing toys. It can be commonly found in baby bottles, sippy cups and plenty of other entertainment products.
If you see rubber duckies or dolls when shopping for a gift or a new toy for your child, look for the PVC-free label. Polyvinyl Chloride can cause major adverse effects and may leak cancer substances such as vinyl chloride, dioxin, and phthalates, and lead to asthma, reproductive problems and developmental disorders. So it’s best to stay away from toys that are not labelled as PVC Free materials.
If you are concerned about the adverse effects of these materials, it is recommended to avoid any plastic products in your life. You have the option of purchasing wooden toys, cookware, and silicone bottles, which are many times proven to be food-safe substances and very much heat-resistant.
The Durability of Wooden Toys
A toy must be composed of durable and robust materials to withstand frequent handling by a youngster. While plastics may seem more fun for your child, wooden toys are far more durable and may be polished or repainted to appear like new again. As a result, they are more eco-friendly and compensate for the somewhat higher cost. Wood does not degrade or fracture and can survive for a long period or even decades.
Plus, because wooden toys are long-lasting products, you can easily pass them on to the next generation. You can simply recycle old and worn wooden items by repainting and polishing them. If you have a treasured piece from your childhood toy collection, pull it out because wooden toys are making a major comeback.
The Different Purpose of Different Toys
Plastic does not provide the same sensation and sensory experience that a wooden toy offers. According to some studies, imaginative play is considered to be very important in a child’s cognitive development. Role-playing and imaginative play will also boost other sorts of intelligence such as emotional and social abilities. Some toys are particularly designed to initiate these plays and improve the child’s mental skills.
Sensory Blocks
Sensory play is extremely useful to youngsters, as it helps to establish brain connections and tune out which information is important and valued. Any activity that involves a young child’s senses of touch, smell, taste, sight, and hearing, as well as movement and balance, is considered sensory play.
Role-Playing Sets
Perhaps you’ve heard that role-playing games have their own department of toys in the children’s area. Everything from kitchen sets to doctor’s medical equipment can stimulate your child’s creativity and improve the problem-solving approach. Performing real-life scenarios like camping or building allows children to have a better understanding of their surroundings, and also helps them develop physical and communicational skills.
Stacking Towers
Stacking towers are another useful tool for improving your children’s learning capabilities. Children learn how to balance objects through stacking and building towers while comparing the size, height and order of things. This can also improve their hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities.
Puzzles
We all know jig-saw puzzles are a terrific method to relax and unwind. However, this may be a fantastic concept for children as well. Puzzles strengthen connections between brain cells, boost mental speed, and are particularly helpful in improving short-term memory. This can aid the child’s ability to see and fit the puzzle parts together quickly.
From the unsafe chemicals found in plastics to the harsh environmental treatment, wooden toys have been shown as a significantly healthier option for your child’s brain function and physical development. Plastic toys are still fun to play with, but they’re not recommended for babies who are prone to chewing or nibbling on toys. And since youngsters are curious about everything they stumble upon, it’s a good idea to start reading toy labels before you buy, and simply include wooden toys in your child’s life.