Help Finding Age Appropriate Toys

Have you ever gone to purchase a toy for a child and gotten to the store only to find there were so many choices that it was hard to choose?  Or perhaps you're a new parent and so excited to purchase your child the coolest thing but not certain they will be able to play with it at their current age.  Whatever the case may be, don't fret!  Because Gifts.com has come up with the perfect Age Appropriate Gift Guide that will help you with all of your gift buying needs.

You might be wondering, "Just what does age appropriate mean?"  Age appropriate means  that the toys are actually age-appropriate for a child's development at that particular age.  We know that children love to play with toys, but why are toys important anyway?

Every person’s growth, learning and development starts with their motor and sensory skills. Sensory skills involve your senses. Things are learned and memorized best by children and adults when they engage their senses.

Motor skills are used when your muscles, nervous system and brain work together to complete a task. There are two types of motor skills: fine and gross. Fine motor skills include small tasks like picking up a spoon, bending your fingers and moving your lips. Gross motor skills include bigger movements like rolling over, sitting and walking, anything that involves using your feet, legs, torso and arms is a gross motor skill.

Motor skills are measured by skills such as

• Muscle tone
• Strength and coordination
• Rhythm and timing
• Bilateral coordination
• Primitive and postural reflexes
• Eye-muscle balance and coordination
• Balance and posture

Sensory skills are those that involve the senses, which include:

• Hearing
• Vision
• Smell
• Taste
• Touch
• Vestibular (inner ear)
• Proprioception (the ability to know where one’s body is in space)
• Balance and spatial perception

So, you see, toys are really more than just a play thing; they teach children important skills if given ones that are appropriate for their age level.  Click HERE to grab your own guide for age appropriate toys from birth-9 years and older!