Technology can be a great thing, but in the world of toys I am not so sure. What ever happened to old-fashioned toys for children? You know the ones; wooden puzzles, wooden blocks with letters on them, balls, jacks, marbles, wooden shape tables and many more. Technology has certainly made many things in life easier and faster, but is this really a good thing in a child’s development. In this article we will take a look at the advantages of those old and out of date toys versus the hip high tech toys of today. If you want to know what these toys look and like along with their feature and price range try best tech gadgets 2019. There you get the list of best toys and gadgets that are there in the market.
Going to a toy store these days is like sensory overload. There are so many bells, whistles, and lights that it makes a parent absolutely sure that there kids will have much better toys than those old things that we used to play with. However, if it is sensory overload for us, what is it for our children? Do all of these high tech bells and whistle educational toys really teach our children more than a box of blocks? Or do these toys overload our child’s senses so much that they actually discourage developmental phases?
Maria Montessori believed that children should provide their own stimulation in a quiet environment that encourages them use and work all of their senses. She believe that objects should have texture and purpose; mimicking things that they see adults do. In many Montessori schools today you will find objects made of wood and glass that provide texture and feel to stimulate a child’s learning experience. Those old toys of bygone years did provide stimulation to all of the senses while sparking a child’s imagination to grow and develop.
Wooden puzzles contained those handy little pegs for tiny fingers to grasp. Young hands were able to feel the outline of the puzzle piece as well as the hole that it fit into. They could feel the shape of the picture they were seeing and learn how to envision pictures in a three dimensional image. The little pegs provided a chance for those little fingers to practice a pincer grasp for future skills such as writing. Those wooden blocks that stood the test of time with the raise letters on one side and picture of something that began with the letter on the other side were great for all sorts of things. They could feel and see the letter while learning a new word as mommy pointed out the bee on the other side. They could build with them and hear them as they crashed to the floor.
Children like to learn in small bits and pieces with just a few senses stimulated at a time. This allows time for the child to process the information. Today’s high tech toys overload a child’s senses with lights and sounds and movement. This doesn’t allow a child time to process. It seems that while children will laugh and giggle when first presented with the high tech toy they quickly leave it for something a bit simpler.
Children also like to mimic the adults in their lives in simple movements. Toddlers like to put the silverware away out of the dishwasher and learn to use a broom and dustpan. Children like things that provide concentration and imagination. High tech toys do it all for them. There is no concentration, just stimulation. There is no imagination because there is only so much that can be done by pushing the button to make the lights blink or the music start up. The imagining has already been done. The old fashioned toys could be used any number of ways only limited by a child’s imagination.
Maria Montessori might have been onto something all those years ago. Maybe this Christmas high tech should stay in the store and instead maybe Santa can bring something of nostalgia to our children. In the world of toys progress isn’t always better. In fact, it can be a hindrance and boring as well. So if your child wants the box, let them have the box and watch their imaginations grow.
