Educational Toys and Childhood Development

Safari Ltd is committed to helping children learn, and we want to help you get educational toys into the hands of children. 

One of the best ways that children learn is by playing, and playing with educational toys can have a powerful impact on the development of essential skills. From teaching them to share, helping with language skills, or assisting them in exploring the world around them, toys and play can help children develop into successful adults. As summer winds down and kids are heading back to school, let’s look at some specific benefits of educational toys and which toys can give you the most bang for your buck as far as developmental milestones are concerned in and out of the classroom.

Benefits of Educational Toys

While most toys can offer some benefits to developing brains, educational toys are specifically designed to teach while they are played with. Luckily, in the end, educational toys are still toys, so they provide all the benefits while still being fun to play with at home or in a school setting. Here are some of the benefits of playing with educational toys:

1. Children learn and gain essential cognitive skills from educational toys such as reasoning and critical thinking, problem solving, STEM concepts, literacy skills, content knowledge, and more.
2. Children can develop their ability to creatively think outside the box with imaginative problem solving.
3. Motor skill development of large muscles groups in the arms, legs, torso, and feet and fine motor skills in the small muscles in the fingers, toes, wrists, lips, and mouth can be developed with the use of educational toys. Toys which allow a child to walk with it or crawl to make it work build gross motor skills, while smaller toys that require more dexterity to hold and play with develop fine motor skills.
4. Social Emotional Learning skills, like emotional regulation, communication, cooperation, can be fostered through games, interactive open-ended play, etc. These skills, which are dictated by social values and principles, are important for making friends and finding success in group settings.

Types of Educational Toys

With so many toy options it is hard to know what kinds of toys will benefit your children the most. Whether you are stocking your classroom or your home playroom, here are a couple of guidelines to follow to help you find the next new toy which will be fun for your child to play with but will also inspire their mind and development.

1. Open-Ended Toys: Toys that sing, dance, and entertain children by themselves create passive children who don’t take play risk or explore their own creativity.  As the kiddos explore their own ideas and creativity with , open-ended toys, they are provided opportunities to grow in confidence and competence through inventing fantastic new play scenarios, imaginative storytelling, and creative new uses for the toys. Figurines, blocks, dolls, plush toys, and art supplies are some perfect examples of open-ended toy options.
2. Sensory Play: Messy, tactile, sensory play develops fine motor skills, offers sensory input, helps with emotional regulation, creativity, experimenting, and more.
3. Active Toys: Ride on toys, floor mats, balls, playground equipment, and any item that promotes movement foster children’s gross motor skills as well as social skills and cooperative play.
4. Art and Craft supplies: From paper and paint to clay and jewelry making, there are endless possibilities for learning, imagination, exploration, and fine motor skill development with a variety of art materials. 
5. Figurines and Vehicles. Have options for non-specific people, vehicles, and animals that your children can use to act out social scenes, city scenes, or construction sites. These items let them kids populate mini small worlds to explore scenes in a safe way.
6. Educational Products and Games: From STEM toys and games to books and historical figurines, educational products have generally have specific goals in mind. Intentional use of these toys can promote learning and development. With these products, you can target and build various cognitive skills and subject knowledge in a playful way that is engaging and enjoyable for the child.

Safari LTD and Educational Toys

Here at Safari LTD we know that toys and play can have a powerful impact on a child’s life, it’s part of our value system. We strive to create Toys that Teach and work to make sure that our toys are durable, long lasting, and as accurate to the real thing as possible. For the littlest hands all the way up to your budding scientist, from your home to the classroom, we want to provide you with toys that help children grow their imagination, develop their skills, and explore the world around them.

Did you know?

We offer a 40% exclusive educator discount to teachers, administrators, and educators on Safari Ltd. figurines and Safariology collections. Just verify your teaching credentials by filling out our form, get verified, and start shopping!