As parents, we’re told that cause and effect toys are necessary for our child’s development. However, many people wonder what exactly this type of toy is and what are the benefits of cause and effect toys?
These are good questions and in this article, we’ll explore what cause and effect toys are and the benefits they provide for children of different ages.
What Are Cause And Effect Toys?
Very simply, cause and effect toys are any interactive toys that have a cause and effect component. These types of toys teach kids that every action they make has an outcome.
Let’s take a whistle, for example. Blow into the whistle and a sound comes out.
This teaches the child that a particular action (ie blowing into the proper part of the whistle) will result in a sound.
Once the child repeats the action several times and gets the same results every time, they begin to learn that it’s their specific action that causes the result.
However, lots of things can teach a child about cause and effect.
For example, a child will learn that every time they throw an object, it will fly into the air and come down again.
They learn if they stack blocks, what they’re building will get taller, and if they hit the stack of blocks, they’ll fall down.
So toys are just one of the many ways that kids can learn about cause and effect.
Benefits of Cause and Effect Toys for Babies
It may surprise some people to know that newborn infants learn quickly about one cause and effect and they don’t need a toy in order to do so.
Within a few days or weeks of being born, they learn that when they cry, they get parental attention.
And generally the harder they cry, the quicker they get that attention they want or need.
Although babies may not be understand that they’re basically manipulating their world by crying, it does prepare them to learn about cause and effect.
For example, if you give a baby a rattle, they quickly learn that shaking that rattle will produce a sound.
Or give them a washcloth in the bath and they quickly learn that shaking it can cause water to splash.
But just what are the benefits of cause and effect toys for babies?
- Cause and effect toys help infants develop their gross motor skills by getting them to wave their arms and kick their legs more
- Cause and effect toys make them want to explore things and be curious about the world around them
- Cause and effective toys help babies begin to focus their eyes. When they try to reach out and do something like batting the toys on a baby gym. They have to focus their eyes in order to see things well enough to bat at them
- Cause and effect toys also help infants begin to develop their fine motor skills since they will learn that actions such as pushing a button will cause something to pop up or drop down or make a fun noise
So it’s the repetition of certain actions to get the results that infant want which help them strengthen their gross and fine motor skills, as well as help them improve their focus.
And it’s the development of these skills that will help a baby learn to do things like crawl, stand, and eventually walk as they grow older.
Benefits of Cause and Effect Toys For Toddlers
Continue reading in part two.
Benefits Of Cause And Effect Toys For Toddlers And Preschoolers
