8 Toys That Can Promote Your Child's Development
Toys are great tools for learning through play. Kids can use toys to practice a wide variety of skills as well as develop emotionally, socially and physically — but it’s important to have the right toys.
Check out these fun items to see if it could be a good fit for your child’s development and then make sure to engage and encourage play with him or her. Items are available through Amazon as of publication.
Fisher-Price Hungry Monster Maze
This toy improves motor coordination and encourages following directions, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, and assists with identifying colors and numbers.
Rody Horse
Help your child improve their body awareness with this bouncy toy. They can also work on balance and improve core strength by learning how to stabilize.
Melissa and Doug: Nesting Garages
Work on motor coordination with these garages by stacking and separating! This toy also develops vocabulary skills by teaching colors and numbers and helps with learning simple matching skills.
Learning Resources Rainbow Cones
These cones are great for color identification, following directions, pretend play, and can be used to “take orders” like an ice cream shop.
Aqua Doodle Mat
This no-mess mat works on fine motor skills while developing early writing skills. It is also great for a child with mobility delays since you can play with it on the floor.
Melissa and Doug Round-the-Town Rug
This rug allows for symbolic play by pushing cars around on the rug as well as pretend play by setting up a town with blocks and driving cars through the town. This is great for solitary play or playing with peers.
Fat Brain Spin Again
This toy is wonderful to use in therapy and loved by kids! The Spin Again is great for hand-eye coordination and is used in therapy to work on balance by encouraging the child to bend and pick up the gears.
Baby Stella
This soft and snuggly baby doll makes for the perfect first baby doll. Her mouth is magnetic, so her paci and magnetic bottles stick to her mouth. She helps target pretend play skills, emotional and social development, and promotes engagement with a parent or peer.
Cecilia Creasman is a speech language pathologist at Pediatrics Plus.