Toys for cognitive development

Children go through different learning stages as they grow from newborns to adolescents. While these stages are occurring, changes in their brain are also happening. Although every child develops in their own time, it is important to continuously stimulate their mind and senses in order to help them grow. Learning the different stages of development is important to help determine what an age-appropriate toy is for your child or loved one. If you are looking for the perfect gift, inform your decision by what developmental stage a child is at.

Parents and caregivers can help infants develop cognitive skills just by picking the right toys for babies to explore. When choosing toys. A toy for a 3 month old will be different from one for a 9 month old, since each child is at a different stage of cognitive development. Also, be aware that infant developmental areas overlap. Fine motor skills, social, and cognitive skills will usually overlap with children aged months. Babies months are just beginning to use toys in learning, but choosing the right toys can help these skills to develop on schedule. Young babies love faces, so try holding a toy with a face on it to stimulate him.

While baby's playing with infant toys such as blocks, balls, and stacking cups, he's getting a sneak peek at math and science. Walk into my house on any given day, and you will find yourself at what I'm beginning to consider the world's longest-running block party. My 1-, 2-, and 5-year-olds will all be busy to the point of distraction, happily playing away with blocks.

Children are extremely fast learners. For newborns, the world is a flood of information and they absorb it like a sponge. Connections between neurons in the brain called 'synapses' form, and because children have the ability to take in large amounts of information, the number of connections in a young child's brain particularly babies and toddlers are far greater than an adult's. This is because, unlike adult brains which ignore irrelevant information, the developing brain takes in everything, and forms neural connections that are virtually useless.