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Toys & Games Help Kids "Learn to See" |
General movement abilities for the development and coordination of sitting, crawling, standing and walking skills. Special movement abilities for the development of eye-hand coordination skills. Eye movement abilities for the development of eye focusing, eye teaming and eye tracking skills. Vision-language abilities for the development of communication skills. Visualization abilities for the development of interpretation and perception skills. Selecting Age-Appropriate Toys With so many toys to choose from, how do parents decide what toy or game may be most appropriate for their infant or child? The following guidelines can help. They provide a recommended age-appropriate listing of toys and games. The list is certainly not complete. But it can assist adults in selecting toys and games that will not only provide for safe, fun play, but also help enhance a child's visual and thinking skills. The specific area(s) for enhancing vision development are listed in blue after each toy, game or activity. Since children progress at different rates, good judgment is needed by parents to determine if a toy is appropriate for their child. Also, toys or games listed in a younger age group can continue to be appropriate for older children as well. |
Age-appropriate toys, games and activities can provide opportunities for children to practice skills in the following developmental areas: |
Birth to three months l Place multicolored mitts on your baby's hands. (general and special movement) l Hang a patterned piece of material on the crib with a bell attached. (eye movement) l Provide multicolored objects (rattles, squeaky rubber toys, etc.) (eye movement) l Make a bridge between the two sides of the crib and attach a multicolored object to it that can be made to swing (eye movement) l Suspend a mobile over the crib (eye movement) l Hang a cradle gym across the crib (special movement) Four to eight months l Provide objects of different textures, sizes and weights (visualization) l Use colorful toys that make noises (vision-language) l Place small objects within his/her reach so your baby can practice grasping and holding abilities (special movement) l Place a kickable mobile at the end of the crib (general movement) l Roll a patterned ball toward your baby as he/she sits on the floor (general movement, eye movement) |
l Give your baby nesting toys to play with |
l Provide pots and pans (special movement, eye movement) l Place a plastic mirror in a place where your baby can catch a view of himself (visualization) l Busy b0x (special movement, eye movement) l Make available a large, bright rattle (eye movement) l Windup toys that can move to and from your baby as he/she watches (eye movement) l Simple pop-up toys (special movement, eye movement) Nine to eighteen months l Pull toys that make sounds (general movement, special movement, vision-language) l Blocks and pegs (special movement, eye movement) l Hammer and pegs (special movement) l Simple 2 piece puzzels (visualization, eye movement) l Read aloud to your child from picutre books (vision-language, visualization) l Stacking toys (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Large balls (special movement, eye movement) l Fillable objects and pouring toys (special movement) l Stuffed animals (special movement, eye movement) Nineteen months to three years |
Seeing Smarter with Toys and Games Young children learn primarily through play. Toys and games entertain and stimulate young minds and help children develop the physical, language, social and intellectual skills they will need in life. A toy or game can be helpful in enhancing a child's development, as long as it is safe, well constructed, and age-appropriate. Even everyday household items like plastic bowls and measuring cups, and homemade toys can be just as effective in helping a child learn as toys purchased at a store. Toys that give a child the opportunity to actively engage in the learning process also help foster the development of creativity and imagination. And parents involvement in playing with their child can maximize the benefits. Toys and games can also foster the development of specific visual skills a child needs for learning. |
(special movement, eye movement) |
l Small wagon, kiddy car, or tricycle (general movement) |
l Sandbox (general movement, special movement) |
l Bright balls (special movement, eye movement) |
l Large snap-lock beads (special movement, eye movement) |
l Take a part toys (special movement, eye movement) |
Four to five years l Cars, dump trucks, planes, etc. (special movement, eye movement) l Construction toys (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Workbench with hammer, saw and nails (special movement, eye movement) l Bean bags (special movement, eye movement) l Cutting and pasting materials (special movement, eye movement) l Coloring books (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Connecting dots (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Parquetry blocks (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Tricycle/bicycle (general movement) l Puzzles (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Memory games (visualization) l Pegboards (special movement, eye movement) l Picture books (vision-language, visualization) Six to twelve years l Table top sports games (general movement, special movement, eye movement) l Board games (special movement, eye movement, vision-language, visualization) l Model car or airplane sets (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Electric trains (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Hobby and craft kits (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Video games (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Electronic learning/interactive games (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Jump ropes (general movement) l Puzzles (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Books (vision-language, visualization) |
l Push and pull toys (general movement, |
l Toys with geometric shapes (visualization) l Large beads for stringing (special movement) l Jigsaw puzzles (3 - 10 pieces) (special movement, visualization) l Finger paints (special movement, visualization) l Picture books (vision-language, visualization) l Play dough/modeling clay (special movement) l Lincoln logs (special movement, visualization) l Rocking horse (general movement) l Blocks of all sizes (special movement) l Large crayons and paints, coloring sets (special movement, visualization) l Large crayons and paints, coloring sets (special movement, visualization) l Construction toys (special movement, eye movement, visualization) l Word and matching games (visualization) l Pouring and measuring toys (special movement) l Musical instruments (vision-language) l Interlocking toys (special movement) l Make believe play (Pretend village, farm, gas station etc.) (visualization) l Dolls, doll houses, furniture (special movement, visualization) l Board games (special movement, eye movement, vision-language, visualization) |
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special movement) |
Lamaze Octotunes |
Toy Safety Today, labels used by many toy manufacturers on packaging make choosing a safe, age-appropirate toy or game much easier. But it is still up to the purchaser to decide which toys are suitable and which can pose a risk for their child. The U.S. Consumer Product Saftey Commission (CPSC) has developed toy saftey guidelines that every parent should follow. Read more... |
Soft, loveable character with a big, friendly face and eight colorful tentacles that respond to squeezes with a different note for each tentacle. |
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Leap Frog Learn and Groove Musical Table |
Learning and musical activities that provide visual and auditory stimulation and motor skill development. |
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Let's Play Neighborhood Memory Game |
A twist on the classic memory game that encourages concentration and memory, image association and fine motor skills. |
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Deluxe Standing Easel |
Fuel your child's imagination and creativity while drawing, painting, sketching or doodling on extra-large chalkboard, dry-erase board and easy-load paper |
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Blokus Classic |
Strategy board game that challenges spatial thinking. Bright colors and simple rules make it ideal for age five and up. |
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Toy Organizer Rack |
Kid-friendly storage rack features 12 colorful bins. Made of rugged molded plastic with steel reinforcements. |
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Top Toys and Games |
Don't just buy any toy or game for a child. Provide an opportunity for vision development and learning. |