Monday 11 August 2014

Soft Toys – Educational Benefits

Often a child’s first soft toy may be a teddy or any other species of animal. Stores are brimming with soft toys and business is booming for this sector. Adults may give the child a soft toy because it looks cute and smart but there is more unexplored potential. Kids adore soft toys and often get attached to a special toy for many years. Soft toys offer educational benefits for children as is evident from this article.

Babies love to explore the texture of soft toys, feeling their soft fur, bristly whiskers and hard eyes. They will chew or suck on these toys so be sure to remove the beads and strings attached to them. Fur or hair should be short and not easily plucked out.

Toddlers up to about two to three years the soft toys should be carefully chosen for safety and durability. Toddlers learn empathy along with language and names. Different soft toys make the toddler familiar with words like dog, cat, pig and bear as well as the animal sounds made by them. stuffed toys are named and become constant companions. A whole range of emotions are tested out on soft toys. 

They are loved, kissed, hugged, kicked and hit. Early parenting skills are also tried out on the soft toys and they may have their diapers changed, their teeth brushed, put on the potty or put to bed. Toddlers work through challenging situations, understand changing behaviour and demonstrate their observances. Soft toys are a child’s first real friends.

Preschoolers indulge in imaginative play. Soft toys are not limited by their appearance so a giraffe could be a princess, an astronaut, a teacher or even a giraffe. Children often share their feelings with soft toys and can conduct elaborate conversations with them. They may re-enact situations if they have had a rough day, and this helps them deal with difficult emotions.

School aged children often use role play to deal with the new structures in their lives. Soft toys can become a whole class of students, or a gang of pirates, or an audience for a puppet show. Children become attached to soft toys and often have new clothes stitched for them.

Older children especially animal lovers may want to collect unusual soft toys. Finding an exotic and rare soft toy becomes a passion. The beanie baby trend became a rage and came complete with adoption papers and the option to trade. Through this hobby children learn to classify animals, natural habitats and geography. Visiting a local zoo or even another country gives them the opportunity to relate their experiences and to learn sciences like zoology and biogeography. Some children sew soft toy companions for their siblings or friends. The sewing skills involve fine motor coordination and 3 dimensional math skills.

Send soft toys online to the wonderful children in your life.

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