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Some toys, however, have been associated with less positive learning experiences and often lead to unwanted actions by the child. Are these toys worse off as learning experience? Or do they just promote learning in other ways that may just lead to differing expressions of learning then what is more commonly thought of as learning?

A broad association

As children begin to become somewhat aware of their surroundings they begin to make associations with what they see, hear and touch. Obviously taste and touch are two of the more immediate sensations they begin to learn but sound quickly follows. Sound and associations peak the child’s senses and learning from outside sources other then food and the tough of the mother breast begin. Somebody walking into the room, perhaps the sound of the mothers’ voice just before feeding indicate awareness and association. A toy that makes a sound, at first, might be thought to just be a sound but quickly becomes a sound associated with that object. So associating is learned. This might be thought of as a good basic building block from toys.

Spatial awareness through toys

Perhaps the first spatial awareness comes from a mother’s breast, then perhaps a toe or a finger. Once the child is capable of recognition past these everyday physical things they start to recognize immediate things in their immediate vicinity. Once they reach the grasping stage they understand that they must hold the object or it falls. This would be rudimentary learning but learning nonetheless. Toys as a static item would be a further learning element as the child begins to learn about the third dimension. Stack toys, such as blocks, and the third dimension become alive and somewhat more understandable then there is a thing that I must hold. Stack them and they stay, push them and they fall like letting go of a single item.

A more narrow association

As a child grows, toys begin to narrow their association between finer and finer distinctions of association. A sound is no longer associated with just an object but rather a particular object whether in three dimensions or two. A picture of a cow is associated with a “moo� just as much as a three dimensional cow. That person’s sound means its one type of tall thing and another type of sound means it’s another type of tall thing. A doll sound is just another sound association with another thing but it is there for the child to use and play/learn from by association and sound.

Making use of imagination

Once many of the associations have come together toys really begin to show their limitless potential as learning tools. The toy in question can perform its intended use but now becomes enabled to become whatever the child wants it to be. A doll becomes a sister; a broom becomes a rocket ship. Expression becomes the gateway to learning what everyday worldly things are and can do in the child’s own mind. They can mold the toy to their whim and gain empowerment and confidence in whatever form they desire. How does a rocket ship fly? What looks best on the doll? Both of these examples are a sign of imagination and learning.

A tool or a toy

Coordination does not stop developing once the child starts to walk. A slow developmental process of learning how to manipulate ones body takes a lifetime, and if then. Toys or tools, depending upon ones definition, help to aide in this learning process. A football helps to understand why the ball moves as it does when kicked in a certain way. A baton flying through the air rises and falls to land in the hand only if the hand moves in the correct way.

Making learning choices

As children go about playing with their chosen toys they find that certain mental pathways are connecting more easily with some toys then with others. They naturally choose to pursue the toys that are easier and thus more interesting to play with. The advent of choosing a learning medium finds the child, and in many respects, influences the child in many ways. As this event occurs, perhaps the influence is a bit more than a developing mind is able to absorb intellectually. Yet the mind continues to absorb. The child learns how to manipulate the toy without fully understanding the consequences of the manipulation. All that they understand is that they get the desired return from the manipulation, a learned reaction without understanding. But this is a choice nonetheless. This might be thought of as a slippery slope resulting from an educational toy.

The why stage

There is a point in every child's development when they start vocalizing their curiosity and desire for learning. For every time they ask why? You wish you had a dime. As they learn with toys and their play with other children, with and without toys, they are learning and wondering why. At some point they stop wondering why a toy or person or thing does something and just accept that it does. At that point learning with toys ceases being learning with a toy and becomes using a tool.

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Keith Jacobsen is a first rate promoter of free trade leads for trade portals where you may uncover lots of leads for Games and Learning Toys.

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Educational Toys – Are They Useful for Kids?

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