Children and toys are inseparable companions. Play is not just a fun activity for children; it’s a crucial part of their development. Toys help them develop motor skills, stimulate their imagination, foster social skills, practice problem-solving, and encourage independence. However, there’s a growing realization that when it comes to toys, less can indeed be more.
In a world where toy stores overflow with options, and marketing bombards parents with the latest must-have toys, it’s essential to pause and consider the impact of toy abundance on our children’s play experiences. Overflowing toy boxes and crowded shelves can overwhelm both children and parents. There’s a growing school of thought that advocates for fewer, more carefully selected toys to enhance the quality of children’s play.
The Link Between Fewer Toys and Better Play
Research has delved into the relationship between the number and type of toys available and the quality of children’s play. It has been found that several factors heavily influence the quality of a child’s play:
- The Number of Play Objects: Providing fewer toys reduces the choices available to a child. Surprisingly, this limitation often leads to improved play quality. Children are more likely to concentrate on a single item for more extended periods and explore it in various ways. This, in turn, nurtures more creative and imaginative play, significantly benefiting their cognitive development.
- The Type of Play Objects: Not all toys are created equal. Some toys offer passive play experiences, where they do most of the work for the child, while others encourage active, creative engagement. Passive toys might sing, dance, or move on their own, providing instant gratification but limiting a child’s active participation. In contrast, passive toys like sticks, basic household items, paper, and crayons require children to take the lead in play, fostering a sense of accomplishment and enhancing their holistic development.
- Environmental Construction: How the play environment is structured plays a critical role in shaping a child’s play experience. An ordered play space with a small variety of toys in low open baskets supports autonomy, enabling children to see and select their play objects clearly.
When children engage in free, child-directed play in such an environment, the benefits extend beyond play itself. They develop a sense of satisfaction that leads to intrinsic motivation, making them more eager to repeat and seek further play experiences.
Parents, too, benefit from this arrangement as it reduces mess and clutter. Children are more capable of resetting their own environment when it’s thoughtfully organized, and parents can reclaim some of their time for other activities while their child enjoys independent play.
Practical Steps for Parents
Now that we understand the importance of quality over quantity when it comes to toys, let’s delve into practical steps parents can take to declutter their children’s toy collections and enhance the quality of play.
- Eliminate Duplicates: Start by removing duplicates or excess toys with similar purposes. Children benefit from having various toys that serve different purposes rather than having duplicates of the same tool.
- Discard Broken Toys: Toys with missing or broken parts should be discarded. Such toys hinder a child’s ability to complete their ‘job,’ causing frustration and depriving them of a sense of accomplishment.
- Prioritize Real-World Toys: In today’s world, children are often exposed to media and TV characters that heavily influence their play. While imaginative play is essential, children have a natural fascination with the real world. Prioritize toys that mimic real-life objects and scenarios, as these encourage children to explore and make sense of their surroundings.
- Choose Passive Over Active Toys: Active toys, those that perform actions like singing or dancing, can provide instant gratification but may limit a child’s active engagement. Passive toys, such as basic household items, stimulate a child’s creativity and require more effort, resulting in a more satisfying play experience.
- Opt for Simple, Open-Ended Objects: Many modern toys are packed with complex concepts and marketed as educationally beneficial. However, young children don’t absorb concepts through overwhelming bombardment. Instead, opt for open-ended toys that allow children to explore and use their creativity freely. These toys don’t dictate play; they inspire it.
Understanding Play Schemas
To further improve the quality of play, it’s valuable for parents to understand play schemas – the natural urges that drive children to behave in repetitive ways. Aligning toys with these schemas can enhance a child’s play experiences. Let’s explore the eight play schemas and corresponding toy examples:
- Connecting: Children with the connecting schema enjoy putting things together and pulling them apart. Toys that support this urge include blocks, puzzles, construction sets like Duplo or train sets, stackers, and threading activities.
- Enclosing/Containment: This schema involves containing items within boundaries. Provide containers and loose parts that children can place inside the container, stackable bowls, shape sorters, or playsets with fences and animals.
- Enveloping: Similar to enclosing, the enveloping schema involves concealing items by wrapping them inside various materials. Loose parts toys, play silks, dolls with blankets, and Russian stacking dolls satisfy this urge.
- Orientation: This schema revolves around a child figuring out positions in space, often involving their own body. Encourage outdoor activities that allow children to explore nature, run, bike-ride, and climb on playground equipment.
- Positioning: The positioning schema is the foundation of organizational skills, with children lining up similar objects in rows or creating patterns. Offer wooden craft sticks, glue, soft toys, or natural items like leaves and seed pods for pattern-making.
- Rotation: The rotation schema revolves around objects that roll or spin. Toys like balls, cars, spinning tops, and twirling streamers are perfect for satisfying this urge. Children may also draw this schema, so provide paper and writing materials.
- Transporting: Children with the transporting schema enjoy moving objects from one location to another. Offer small buckets, baskets, wheelbarrows, baby prams, play trolleys, loose parts, dolls, and teddy bears for this type of play.
- Trajectory: The trajectory schema involves throwing objects, including themselves, through space. Toys like soft balls or beanbags for target practice, ball runs, bubbles for chasing, and platforms for jumping support this schema.
Toy Selection Tips
When choosing toys for children under five, consider sustainability and environmental consciousness. Wooden toys are an excellent choice as they promote well-being and reduce waste. Additionally, opt for a variety of materials like cloth, rubber, and stainless steel instead of relying solely on plastic.
For children over 12 months, select toys that align with their natural cognitive urges. Balance toys across the eight play schemas to provide a well-rounded play experience. For preschoolers, craft and nature play are particularly beneficial.
Creating an Ideal Play Space
Beyond selecting the right toys, creating an ideal play space is equally vital. An uncluttered environment with ample natural light, child-sized furniture, and low open baskets for self-selection sets the stage for quality play. Limit the number of baskets available to children to around eight, each corresponding to a play schema.
Parents should transition into the role of observers rather than entertainers during playtime. Encourage independent, intrinsically motivated play by setting aside a predictable playtime following a period of adult connection. Ensure the child is well-nourished and rested to maximize the benefits of independent play.
In a world filled with a dizzying array of toys, it’s crucial to remember that quality often surpasses quantity. A thoughtfully curated collection of toys can pave the way for quality playtime, fostering independence and satisfaction in our children. Declutter those overflowing toy boxes, align toys with play schemas, and create an environment that promotes intrinsically motivated, independent play. By doing so, we can unlock the true potential of our children’s play experiences, one carefully chosen toy at a time.