Play: How It Shapes the Brain, Opens the Imagination

Providing educational toys for toddlers and children during the first three years of a child's life are essential contributing factors in stimulating development. Children learn the fastest from birth to age 5. Because of this it is extremely important for parents to stimulate their young child's brain with toys and activities to encourage natural development.

Giving a baby or toddler educational learning tools is so important to encourage the process of development - recognition of sounds, people, objects, fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination. A proven way to stimulate a child's development is through interaction and play.

Research suggests that while the first five years of life are essential with regards to brain development, it is the first THREE years which is critical in shaping the brain's architecture. This is important because it will determine a child's future ability to comprehend and make physical, emotional and social connections.

Playing is a natural activity for babies and children. Look at it as playing is the job of the child and the educational toys and activities provided by parents are the tools. Playing is nature's way of preparing them to engage in the world. It's through this learning and play with toys that children begin to enhance their lifelong developmental skills.

According to the USDA Fitness and Nutrition, active play encourages learning, coordination, thinking, strength, creativity, flexibility, curiosity and endurance. Cassie Landers, a child development specialist, supports this conclusion stating that a variety of skills can be gained when infants, toddlers and young children engage in active play. Play is definitely an important factor in child development. Landers recommendation is to start off with stackable building blocks, which are fairly easy to manipulate, encourage coordination, creativity, and language development.

Puzzles also play a key role in child development. Puzzles work on a child's ability to think, coordinate, manipulate, as well as enhance fine motor skills. Providing age appropriate toddler toys are proven to be effective in stimulating development. In the early stages of a child's life, providing tools that will enhance their cognitive development is essential to how they will perform later in life in social situations.

Educational toys for toddlers serve a dual purpose; they are fun to play with and they stimulate those important areas of development in the brain and engage active learning. Educational games and learning toys has proven to be a solid investment into a child's development in the first three years of life and beyond.

About The Author:
Lanaya Cooper is the owner of LRB Enterprises, LLC,, a family owned business located in Carmichael, California. The business operates online retailer Reagan's Toy Chest ( [http://www.reaganstoychest.com] ) which is dedicated to providing the best toys for toddlers, educational games and unique children's gifts. She is also the author of the daily mommy blog Raising Reagan ( [http://www.raising-reagan.com] ) which delves into the joys and challenges of raising a precocious toddler and includes reviews and giveaways of educational toddler toys.

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