When a toddler is discovering a new toy, a lot more is happening than meets the eye. Sure, your 1- to 2-year-old is having a ball with the puzzle, musical toy or whatever it may be. But your child also is learning skills that will set the stage for reading, writing, verbal communication and many other things important to your child’s development.

Children learn through play and each stage of their development lays critical groundwork for the next. In this second installment in our series “Finding the Perfect Toy,” we’ll offer tips to help you choose a great toy for a little one aged 1-2 years.

Generally:

• Children 13-18 months progress from using just a few words to stringing words and phrases together. They can walk, climb and feed themselves. Their dexterity is improving, they are learning matching skills and they beginning to enjoy their newfound independence with mobility.
• Children 19-24 months want to be “big helpers.” They understand hundreds of words and can name simple pictures in books. They can complete simple puzzles, help dress themselves and enjoy scribbling with a crayon or marker. Children this age are becoming self-aware and are beginning to enjoy playing with other children.

In addition to the age range that is listed on most toy packaging, here at Earth Explorer Toys we also use “FUNdamental” icons to help you choose a toy based on development categories. The icons let you know if a toy encourages: independent play, cooperative play, language development, develops motor skills, logical thinking and more. Look online for the FUNdamental icons in the detailed description of each toy. Position your mouse pointer over any icon to read the development attribute.

For example, the Alphabet Abacus has two icons in the detailed description for language development and visual learning. This lets you know that while your toddler is having a blast flipping the letters to find pictures on the other side, they’re actually learning letter recognition, developing hand/eye coordination and developing language skills, too.

Another great toy, the Early Melodies Pound and Tap Bench, is fun for kids to tap and pound to make beautiful music. The three FUNdamental icons in the toy description also let you know that the toy encourages independent play and visual learning, as well as helps develops motor skills.

Even something as simple as building block sets, like Eeeny, Meeny, Miny, Zoo!, encourage logical thought, visual development, motor skills and independent play.

Who knew learning could be such fun!