How to choose toys and play with them based on age
When giving a toy to a child, what factors influence an adult to decide whether the toy is good or bad? "How do you play with it?", "At what age should I give it to a child?"...
A toy that is appropriate for a child's development is actually something that is just a little ahead of the child's. If the toy is too easy, the child will not be interested, and if it is too difficult, the child will lose motivation. If the toy gives the child a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, the child will be engrossed in playing.
That said, children develop differently and their interests vary from person to person.
This page will provide a little nudge for those who are buying toys for the first time, or are unsure of how to choose toys based on age. I wrote it with the hope of providing such information.
All of our employees hope that by lovingly watching over your child's growth and having fun together, they will be able to find a wonderful toy.
Nakayoshi Library
Childcare from age 0: How to choose and play with wooden toys [by age]
Children are not "smaller versions of adults." In other words, even though they have brains, nerves, and bodies, whether they become human or not depends on how they are stimulated. They are very fluid creatures, so if you leave them to their own devices, they will not grow into human-like adults, and being overprotected is also not good. You may say that "raising children is hard!"
Therefore, sharing the fun of playing with toys between parents and children is necessary for enjoyable childcare. Once you know the fun of playing with toys, you will surely feel that parenting is fun too!
They respond to sounds by searching with their eyes, react to adults' interactions with facial expressions, and flap their arms and legs.
Your baby will gradually understand soothing sounds. Speak to him gently and with love. Choose sounds that have a pleasant tone. Listen to the sounds of nature and various other sounds to enrich your ears.
Wooden toys have a gentle sound of wood touching wood. Just by shaking it close to your ear, you can hear the "knock, knock" sound. It's soothing.
When your baby turns 4 months old, he or she will slowly start to look at the movement of objects. Babies also want to do whatever they can. Hang a mobile to show your baby gentle movements, play gentle music, or gently sing lullabies and nursery rhymes. When your baby starts to put his or her fingers in his or her mouth, give him or her a toothpaste.
Your child will be able to follow moving objects with their eyes, move towards them, and reach out to reach them. Their hands will also become stronger. As they play with their hands, their body movements will become smoother.
Your baby's hands will also become stronger. As they play with their hands, their body movements will become smoother. We recommend rattles and teethers that your baby can hold, toys that you can touch at the bedside, and toys that encourage crawling.
Once your baby can roll over, try showing them toys and calling them to help them crawl. When your parent, who has been by your side since birth, says "Come here, baby," your baby will want to move forward even a little. Try placing a red ball next to your mother or pulling a toy that moves and makes fun sounds to stimulate your baby's curiosity.
The baby can roll over, crawl, stand up, sit up on his own, and begins to say things that resemble words.
Try playing with them by grabbing things, catching small objects, and gradually coordinating your movements with your voice. How about playing with things like balls of various sizes, or tumblers that move when you touch them?
Childcare is an act of spontaneous enjoyment, and I believe it is an act of fulfilling a child's innate desire to "become more human." To achieve this, children use their brains and bodies to the fullest when they play. Toys have the power to bring out the "power to play" that children already have.
Childcare from 1 year old: How to choose and play with wooden toys [by age]
Children feel a sense of security and trust in the people who are closest to them and who are always in contact with them. In most cases, this is their mother. They closely observe their mother's smell, the way she holds them, the way she talks to them, and her facial expressions. For infants and toddlers, their mother herself becomes a toy. The bond between parent and child is very important from this age.
They learn to use their own words, such as "boo-boo" and "woof-woof." Their hands, eyes, and ears become more active.
Things that have a clear beginning and end, and that you don't get bored of even if you repeat them, give you a sense of satisfaction. Toys Things that you can enjoy (with an adult) watching balls or balls fall, or putting them in and taking them out. A play board is recommended.
Even if a mother hands a baby a toy or places one nearby for him to see, he will reflexively grab it or put it in his mouth, but this alone does not develop communication skills.
It is important to say things like, "Here you go, ___-chan," "Isn't this toy pretty? It makes a nice sound. Come and get it." By imitating what we do, such as saying "Bye-bye" and holding hands or saying "Good morning," children can develop like humans while also learning about a common culture.
They will begin to understand what adults say better. They will be able to stand up and walk by holding on to something.
Gradually encourage your child to consciously move their fingers. Try using words to encourage them to speak. Toys: Push carts and pull carts to encourage walking. Puzzles with easy-to-understand pictures and knobs, toys to get the child moving, etc.
Play is about sharing culture by interacting with others and sharing "things (toys)." That is why we want people to be serious when playing with toys.
They will be able to speak many simple words, walk and climb.
While looking at the pictures, talk to them and ask "What is this?" to draw out words. Toys Things that can be enjoyed repeatedly, cars that can be operated by one's hands, picture books with familiar pictures, etc. A baby chair is also recommended at this age .
If you hand a simple building block to a child who has just turned one year old, he or she will probably just put it in their mouth, drop it, or hold it in both hands and clap it together. But if they see someone stacking or knocking down blocks in front of them, they will try to stack them up little by little, or line them up in order, imitating the person they are playing with. Children are curious and have a strong spirit of adventure, so they can change with just one word from you (depending on how you use it).
Childcare from age 2: How to choose and play with wooden toys [by age]
When your child is engrossed in something, it's important to watch them without interrupting. If they don't know what to do, they'll probably ask for help. If you want to get involved in the play, you can sneak up to them and imitate them with the same toy. It's nice to have a parent take an interest in what you're doing.
They are interested in touching, moving and exploring things for themselves, and want to know everything.
Although they are not used to using their hands, they gradually become able to use simple tools. They can play house, such as cutting vegetables quickly, looping beads by skillfully moving their hands, and shape-matching puzzles.
If you can change the relationship between parents and children to a relationship with other children, even if it is only for a short time, the child will remember the experience. Shared experiences are important as the roots of growth that will continue to connect with children even after they grow up.
They will become more interested in the world around them and begin to develop social skills.
This is the time when children imitate adults. Even if they don't play pretend, they enjoy imitating actions and making up stories. Toys: Pretend play tools such as familiar everyday items and vegetables, telephones that elicit conversation, string stringers, peg holders, etc.
Of course, it is important to give children the time and space to think and devise for themselves, but it is also important for parents to teach their children the importance of ``waiting'' without being too intrusive.
Learn to understand other people's feelings. The first step towards adulthood.
In the second half of their second year, they begin to play pretend and pretend games. As they start to use more spoken language, pretend play becomes the conversation at home. When they start to understand what their friends and parents are saying, they may become rebellious or suddenly stop talking.
On the contrary, they start thinking, "I'm important, but XX is also an important friend." "I only have one hammer, so I want to play. But XX wants to play too?" This is when they start coming up with creative ways to take turns playing. Learning to understand the other person's feelings is connected to the foundations of human relationships.
Previously disparate knowledge and actions become connected, enabling creative activities and imagination.
It is a good idea to let your child play with other children of the same age, not just with their mother. Toys include wooden horses and cars that they can ride on, toys that they can enjoy through construction and fantasy play, such as building blocks, ball games, etc.
Adults should make sure to spend time with children.
The first step towards independence is the emergence of self-esteem. Listening to a child's desire to "do something" is a process that builds a relationship of trust between parent and child.
Play is something that is enjoyed spontaneously, so even if an adult wants a child to play with a certain toy, there may be times when the child does not want to play with it. Please understand that the child is developing at his or her own pace, slowly but surely.
By playing spontaneously and experiencing fun, satisfaction, and a sense of accomplishment, children develop the strength to live. It is important for adults to guarantee that children have time to play.
Watching over children's growth requires patience. You need to be willing to wait. If you make simple toys for your children when you have time, parents can take the initiative in raising their children and have fun. It would be fun if relationships could develop in the community where mothers could ask each other, "Why don't you try making a toy like this?"
Article by Toy Consultant Yuriko Hamada