Toys that aid kids’ cognitive development

Over the years, as science and technology continued to develop steadily but speedily, it’s been discovered that how stable and strong an adult’s cognitive ability is, tends to be a picture of how much it was engaged and developed from childhood. Scientists have proven that it is of utmost importance that a child’s mental, emotional, and psychological development be given maximum attention. 

Children are naturally very inquisitive and tend to always want to know about everything around them as they grow, from sounds to objects, and even noises. Scientifically defined, cognitive development is the ability to process information, retain, and as well be able to express emotions or feelings correctly. Basically, cognitive ability deals with ‘knowing’, hence why it is important that all children should go through a proper way of knowledge building and practice strategic thinking. 

Since kids’ brains are not fully matured, it is easier for them to pick ideas and know things in more interactive ways than adults would. Parents are therefore advised to make available materials and a mostly fun-filled environment for their kids to aid their cognitive growth. Toys are very good materials that have proven to be useful over the years in this regard. Providing kids with the opportunity to engage their developing brains and interact with the world they are growing into, does a lot of good to their cognitive stance. These days, there are several toys that are specifically built to help sharpen the cognitive development of kids.

If you are a parent today you probably already let your children play cognitive and strategy games on your smartphone or tablet. Strategygamer.net has a list of android games for children and these can be very good. However, as parents, we must still try to let our children play real games as well as this practice some very different cognitive abilities, especially when done together with others, then what a digital game can do.

Here is an updated list of some of the most recommended games that have proven to help the development of cognitive skills. 

Speed Stacks

Speed stacks, by Speed Stacks, Inc are well-known toys useful in developing a child’s cognitive development. It can either be played independently or with a peer group. It is designed to make a child stack and unstack materials by using speed and memory as fast as possible, simultaneously. This toy also challenges a child’s motor skills as well.

I focus Jungle Rangers

This toy is a computer software game, designed in such a way that it would boost a child’s sense of focus and attention via recalling, sequencing, and several other ways. It comes along with interactive characters that actually teach kids how to play the game themselves, challenging them to figure it out without an adult’s help. Focus Foundation, the makers, designed the game to be an intuitive one where the child player wouldn’t get to choose his or her own level, but the game itself identifies each player’s ability and advances to the next level whenever the child is ready.

Scramble Squares

This particular one requires the child to arrange the squares into nine completed matching designs. He or she is expected to know the right pieces to put together to make sure the squares turn out exactly the way they ought to be together. B. dazzle, the developer, states that it is “easy to play, but hard to solve”. However, it is a type of game useful for engaging a child’s mind and tasking his or sense of cognition.

Bright and Beyond Activity Cards

This toy set made by Ready Set Resources, comes with laminated and durable cards, with inscribed useful instructions and simple illustrations for each activity the child is expected to engage in. These activity cards are widely known to improve a child’s cognitive, motor, and language skills. The activities also allow the child to steadily find his or her sensory and self-esteem awareness, using basic items found in the home. Recommended to provide a fun-filled and interactive atmosphere for your child while developing and picking up valuable skills.

Magic Moves by Educational Insight

The magic Moves wand toy plays 90 fun commands and 26 musical tunes with an incorporated light show that flashes to the beat of each musical tune. Some of the commands come with actions like ‘march’, ‘freeze’, ‘let’s dance’ that comes abruptly in between the musical tunes to keep the child’s mind alert while listening. This toy provides fundamental learning processes to a child via auditory-visual and kinesthetic stimulation while playing. It is widely believed by scientists that the auditory-visual senses are the most developed in Kids’ early formative stage.

Pop Arty

Pop Arty by B. Toys comes with 500 beads that are joined together in different colors, shapes, sizes, and textures. These beads can be made into different things like bracelets, rings, necklaces, and many more. This toy provides kids with limitless creative options while building their creative ability as well. Its makers specifically designed it to help kids learn about order, sequence, and prediction as they create diverse patterns with the beads.