More Than Child's Play: Toys Influence A Child's Future
Posted on: 13 March 2015
It's easy to overlook the types of toys that a daycare can offer your child. In comparison to the actual physical care and nurture that caregivers give, toys appear like child's play. However, don't overlook the small stuff. A study conducted by Lego showed that 54% of architects have already decided upon their vocation before they turned 16, and in a study of more than 2,000 adults, parallels were found across a number of professions between the type of profession chosen and the type of toys that each individual was exposed to most during childhood.
Toys Influence Character and Interest and Send a Message
The type of toys that are available for your child at a place like Mendon Child Care Ctr will help nurture different interests and characters. Studies have indicated that those who tend to prefer dolls and action figures typically chose professions like nursing, teaching and recruitment, while children who chose "problem solving" professions, like banking or accounting, were more likely to have been interested in board games and puzzles.
Further studies have shown that moderately masculine toys tend to encourage physical, cognitive, academic, musical and artistic growth in children in comparison to moderately feminine toys.
Making Sure There Are Choices
As a parent, it is important to nurture your child in different aspects of life and nurture all interests and hobbies. You want to make sure that the daycare does not have only certain toys available — toys of all genres should be offered. In addition to making sure that there is a wide selection available, you also want to make sure that the toys:
- are age-appropriate. In particular, you want to make sure that the toys are safe for the age of your child. Toys that are designed for older children may not meet the safety recommendations for younger children and may pose a safety hazard.
- possess a safe finish. The finish of the toys may peel or splinter, so it should be non-toxic.
- contain safe ingredients. If your child will be working with art supplies, make sure that they are made from ingredients that are safe to be ingested and safe for the skin.
- are washable. Germs easily accumulate on the surfaces of toys and spread. Make sure that the daycare cleans the toys regularly and that the toys can be cleaned — particularly, stuffed animals.
Conclusion
Nurture all interests by making sure that the daycare has various toys available and will expose your child to different games. For example, you want to make sure that your child not only gets to explore his or her artistic side by painting and drawing but can also develop his or her cognitive and problem-solving abilities with puzzles and board games. Although it may seem minute, toys can help nurture a child's interest and encourage them to explore certain career paths in the future.
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