If you're a parent or an early childhood educator, you've probably stepped on your fair share of small children's toys. Perhaps you've considered throwing out old, broken toys and acquiring figurines or plushies that have more educational value. Learn more about how educational farm toys foster learning and imaginative play.
The Importance of Play in Childhood Development
Childhood development experts often proclaim the importance of pretend play for kids — but what exactly are children learning when they act out scenes with educational farm toys? According to experts, pretend, or "dramatic" play, has the following benefits that can last for the rest of your child's life:
- Learning important facts: Babies, toddlers, and young children are taking in a constant stream of sensory information. If you've ever asked your child "What does a chicken say?" or "What color is a pig?", you are helping your little one categorize and learn about the world around him or her. Even though it seems like your child is simply arranging or holding farm animal figurines, he or she is actually learning.
- Practicing social skills: When your child acts out a scene between a toy cow and a pig on the farm, he or she is learning the art of communicating with others. Your child is making important connections and practicing skills like conversation, taking turns, and compromising that he or she will draw on throughout life to interact with friends.
- Processing emotions: Maybe you've witnessed your child pretend that his or her baby animals are fighting, not getting along, or putting one another in "time out." Children often reenact scenarios that frustrate, confuse, or scare them in order to better understand their emotions during those times.
- Solving problems: What will happen if the rooster chooses to sleep in the morning and not wake up with the sun? Does the pig have a best friend? What does the cow like to eat? Why is one of the sheep missing? All of these are questions that your child may ask while playing with his or her educational farm toys. While these inquiries may seem like an adorable (but insignificant) part of a game, he or she can translate these problem-solving skills into real-world scenarios.
Educational farm toys for 5 year olds and younger little ones can be immensely helpful props for fostering your child's learning and development. Select from a wide variety to choose your child's favorite individual animals or choose a bulk bag of 48+ pieces to see what your child will create!
Choose the Right Educational Farm Toys for Your Children
At Safari Ltd., we offer a large selection of traditional farm animals (such as Angus cows and Pinto stallions) as well as unconventional picks that you might not see every day on a North American farm (such as llamas and Watusi bulls).
We also carry baby animals as well as mini toys to round out your farm or complete your collection. Check out our educational farm toys and more to expand your child's development today!
Sources:
- https://www.parents.com/benefits-of-pretend-play-6828493
- https://www.scholastic.com/parents/kids-activities-and-printables/activities-for-kids/arts-and-craft-ideas/importance-pretend-play.html
- https://ecrp.illinois.edu/v4n1/bergen.html
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