When Christmas time draws near the sales of toys increases significantly and most toy companies make use of this to flood the market with new toys to attract children. While the vast majority of toys in the market are more a marketing ploy that adds very little to a child’s development there are some toys that are beneficial to a child’s development. Parents need to learn how to navigate through the toy department to find children’s toys that actually contribute positively to their children’s development and enrich their play.

Instead buying the latest gimmick toy on in the market parents should shop around and try to find toys that are educational and developmentally appropriate for their children. Children’s toys should be age appropriate and they should in some way contribute to a child gaining skills in cognition, motor- coordination, creativity, and imagination. Since play is a huge part of development parents should use toys as tool to help their children gain the skills they require for the future. Toys that are created specifically to challenge and foster these skills are ideal Christmas presents for children.

Since quite a lot of money is spent on toys parents should make sure that the toys they purchase are made well and produced using high quality materials. Some toy makers and brands take a lot of trouble to ensure that the toys are made with non-toxic raw materials and that they are sturdy and durable. While major toy stores will stock toys from a wide range of toy companies without much thought as to the beneficial value of the children’s toys they sell, some smaller toy vendors sell toys that are crafted specifically with a child’s development in mind. Parents should avoid going to the first children’s toy store they see. Instead, they should shop around, especially online, to find a store that caters to their children’s developmental needs. A store that supplies toys that are made with quality in mind as well as serves some educational or developmental purpose to children should be a parent’s first choice.

Children’s toys such as puzzles, blocks, pretend play toys, arts and craft games and toys are all great choices for Christmas presents. These types of toys develop cognition, fine motor coordination, visual perception, creativity, imagination and social skills. Different toys target different skills and are made for different ages groups so parents should choose toys that are age appropriate.

Through play, a child can learn so much and practice and fine tune the skills that they need to develop in a fun and multi-sensory way. It is a parent’s job to provide their children with the correct tools to aide development by buying toys that are educational.