Today, as in the days of our childhood, toys are an invaluable part of upbringing the child. As they play with toys, children obtain and perk up the skills necessary for formal learning in later stages of their lives. They learn to use their five senses, they acquire and hone the skills of eye-hand co-ordination and control, and develop concepts – they acquire an understanding of the meaning of relationships and the intrinsic characteristics of objects.

And the success that comes from playing with and / or mastering a toy helps develop a child’s self-confidence. If your child doesn’t get to play with toys, she / he might be at a limitation where forming a solid foundation for literacy and maths and developing adaptive behaviour are concerned.

Playing with toys involves almost every part of your child – her eyes, her hands, often her whole body. Toys, therefore are props to blend a child’s imagination. Successful toys are those that combine authenticity and castle in the sky, and down the ages have included dolls, vehicles, dishes, blocks and planes.

Watching your child playing will give you clues on how she is feeling. If she says, ” Bad dolly, you’re very naughty and mama doesn’t love you,”. It doesn’t not mean that you’ve been saying just that to her; it’s more likely that she is done something naughty and fears punishment and is working things out for herself.

Look for a toy that is safe, responsive, self explanatory, multisensory and re-assuring. Also look for toys that encouraging children to imitate real life, inspire problem solving and invite creativity.

Also keep in mind that children don’t always play with toys the way we think they should – and that is part of their learning process. Make sure your child’s toys don’t encourage violent tendencies. And remember, the best toys are not the most expensive – which is why perhaps the toys of our childhoods should be given a welcome back.