Playing is a right of every child. In addition to fun, during play it is possible to stimulate physical, social and cognitive aspects. And when the child has fun with educational toys, the results are even better.

Examples of educational toys include building blocks, board games, puppets and puzzles.

These toys are designed to stimulate different skills through games, exercises and other lively activities that will entertain not only boys and girls, but the adults in the family as well. 

Learn about the benefits of educational toys and which ones are best for each age.

How do educational toys help children?

When using educational toys, children develop motor coordination, use of strength and balance. There is also a cognitive gain, with improved reasoning, attention, expression, critical thinking and memory.

More than that, educational toys play a key role in improving sociability and interactivity among children of the same age. In this way, they help the little ones overcome shyness and become more communicative. 

The benefits are even greater in duo or group games, which also encourage collaboration, cooperation and listening to different points of view.

 Finally, when having fun with educational toys, children are more likely to assimilate information. This way, it is also easier to learn content such as math, Portuguese or science, for example.

Keeping an eye on age

To achieve these benefits, it is necessary to choose toys that are age-appropriate for the child. In addition to being more suitable for the child’s growth and development stage, taking this care is also a form of safety. Toys with small parts, such as puzzles, can cause choking if handled by very young children, for example. 

To know if the toy is suitable, observe the manufacturer’s indication and follow the following guidelines:

• up to 2 years – stimulate visual and auditory perception, speech and recognition. For these children, sound toys are ideal, with large and colorful pieces, puppets, rugs and cubes with drawings of animals or letters;
• between 2 and 4 years old – work on fine motor skills, logical thinking and concentration. Prefer jigsaw puzzles and matching blocks;
• over 5 years – educational toys should encourage playfulness, muscle strengthening, tactile development, balance and interaction with other children. The hopscotch, modeling clay and even board games.

Educational toy donation

Next Friday (03/04) and Tuesday (03/08), the Construindo o Futuro Building the Future) project will distribute educational toys for children from 3 to 5 years old, students of the project’s partner nurseries. In all, there will be 189 donations, in the Bom Pastor, Mãe Trabalhador and in the Santa Cecília Childcare Centers.

The Building the Future project has been carried out since 2020 by the Ramacrisna Institute, sponsored by Petrobras. It promotes professional qualification actions, sports, cultural activities, human training workshops and activities aimed at early childhood for children, young people and adults in situations of social vulnerability, aged between 3 and 40 years. The objective is to promote social inclusion and the protagonism of the population residing in the neighborhoods neighboring REGAP, in Betim, Ibirité and Sarzedo. 

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