What are the effects of games and toys on children's social and cognitive development?

What are the Effects of Games and Toys on the Social and Cognitive Development of Children?

Game, which is a tool for children to learn about life, is of great importance in the development of a child aged 0 - 6. The child becomes happy while playing. Games and toys are as necessary for the child's growth and healthy development as nutrition, love and care. Play plays an important role in the physical, emotional, social, mental and language development of the child.

The Effects of Playing on the Child's Development

Through play, the child;

• Learns to think and decide on his own,

• Learns to take responsibility, cooperate and share,

• Imagination, improves his skills and creativity,

• He learns to focus his attention on a point and organize his skills,

• He learns to know himself,

• He/she finds the opportunity to release his/her aggressive instinct, which is one of his strongest and natural instincts,

• He/she finds the opportunity to try different social roles, express his/her emotions and Confronts how one's relationships with other objects or people are,

• Accelerates and strengthens muscle development,

• Examines the environment, recognizes objects and provides problem solving opportunities,

• The child learns to express himself, understand what is expressed verbally, acquires new words,

• The child learns the rules necessary for social life.

 

What Can Mother and Father Do While Playing with the Child?

• Try to create a joyful atmosphere by smiling at each other and making eye contact as much as possible

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• You can tell the baby's name by playing with its fingers and toes and touching the organs on its body.

They can make the child look,

• The mother and father can make the child see different shapes, colors and hear sounds, and objects

Give him the opportunity to touch and understand You can leave time for it and then repeat what it is so that he can recognize it

• You can use different shaped objects and items such as pegs, plastic cups, spoons, rattles for the baby to hold in his hands.

By giving him toys, he can help him use his hands a lot,

• Talking in a soft voice, approaching with gentle movements and singing songs,

• If the child looks at pictures, books, reads books, listens to music and claps his hands together, he creates the best play environment for the child. It helps the time spent playing games to be happy, joyful and instructive.

Game is an important way to gain skill and control in thoughts, emotions and relationships. A toy is a play tool that stimulates the child's five senses and emotions, develops evaluation and application skills, enriches imagination, and accelerates physical and social development.

Game and toy preferences vary according to the child's age, interests and needs.

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How to Determine Games and Toys Appropriate for the Child's Age?

In the 0-6 month period: In the first six months, the child is sensitive to sounds, shapes and colors. During this period, moving toys that focus on visual and auditory senses attract the child's attention and cheer him up. The child wants to look, touch and watch everything that is new and interesting. This is the child's way of learning. Objects with vibrant colors that can be hung above the bed, that make noise when shaken, and rattles that can be easily held are indispensable toys of this period. During these months, music boxes, colorful rings, and huggable dolls made of fabric and plastic can be preferred.

After the 4th month, balls of various sizes, rattles with handles, rag dolls, rubber and plastic squeeze toys, teething rings, nesting toys can be preferred. The following boxes can be selected and the radio-tape can be played.

In the 7-12 month period: Starting from the seventh month of sitting, the child tries to catch everything he can reach and put everything he catches into his mouth. What they liked most: Colorful rings that he can easily pass from one hand to the other, plastic cubes that he can grasp, rubber objects that he can chew, and soft dolls and animals that do not deteriorate when beaten. Even if it's by holding on Since he enjoys throwing everything he can get his hands on when he can stand up, toys that bounce and make noise when they fall to the ground are the center of attention. Colorful balls of all sizes, nesting boxes, colorful reels, dolls, books, and large colorful pictures are among the toys of this period.

In addition, "cee", which starts to be played from the seventh month onwards, helps the mother learn that she will come back to herself again. e” game helps the child control separation anxiety from the mother. The tension felt every time the mother disappears turns from tension to satisfaction after the mother is seen.

10-12. During the summer months, activity sets such as tambourines, drums, lidded boxes, whistles, books, pictures, thick pencils, garden and sand toys, bath toys, balloons, balls, wheeled toys that can be pushed or pulled, and telephone dialing can be preferred. Playing with sand and water during this period helps the child develop his sense of touch and gives him great pleasure. Thanks to sand and water, which provide experience and discovery opportunities, the shy child is stimulated and the aggressive child is calmed down.

In the 13-18 month period: During these months, push and pull toys that make sounds, wooden or plastic large animals that can be sat on and inside, are used. Toys, empty wooden and cardboard boxes, small chests, baskets and stools, as well as toy brooms, dustpans and cloths, story tapes, children's poetry and picture books may be preferred.

In the 19-24 month period: During these months, the child, He takes great pleasure in breaking the whole into pieces, filling and emptying the box, and building towers and bridges. Toys that attract the child's attention during this period include kitchen utensils, plastic pieces of different sizes, dolls with hair and dresses, and cars. Towards the end of this period, the child can move the piece of wood as if it were a car. He can imitate his parents with some of his movements. During this period, miniature carpenter toys (wooden hammers and nails) and kitchen sets were popular toys. In addition, during this period, wooden, cloth or plastic animals, swings at home and on the street, buckets, shovels, children's poetry tapes and books can be preferred.

In the 25-30 month period: During this period, the child enjoys games based on imagination. enjoys it. He talks to his toys and can get angry and shout at them. Since he is physically developed, he can easily He does somersaults, kicks the ball, and since he is very active, he creates new games and implements these games. He likes to dress up in various outfits and act out games such as housekeeping, grocery store, postman and doctor. During this period, the child's play materials; It may consist of "unstructured" play tools such as play dough, clay and building blocks that support problem solving, creativity and refinement and reflection of emotions.

For the child to play during this period;

• Finger paint, blunt scissors and papers, colored stickers,

• Story and fairy tale books, tape recorders and children's song cassettes,

• Push and pull wheeled vehicles such as baby strollers, tricycles,

• Simple riddles and guessing games (such as knowing animals, trees, flowers),

• Household tools such as small brooms, dustpans, small pots, plates, cups,

• Tools such as hammers, pliers, screwdrivers made of wood or plastic ,

• Zoo trips or trips to nearby areas,

• Natural play materials such as water, sand and clay help develop the child's sense of touch. It can be preferred because it helps to provide experience and discovery opportunities, to stimulate the shy child, to calm the aggressive child and to focus the child's attention on a subject. In the 49-60 month period: During this period, the child is interested in group games. He gradually begins to get to know his environment and makes friends with his peers. They learn to respect the rules of the games they play.

For the child to play in this period;

• Cutting-pasting, drawing, painting. and story and fairy tale books,

• Materials such as play dough, sand, clay, water, with which he can shape and realize his dreams as well as improving his manual dexterity,

• Tricycles, roller skates,

• Games such as rope skipping, hopscotch, marbles, blindfold, hide and seek, hoops,

• Playgrounds and nature walks may be recommended.

Features of Toys

• Toys suitable for the child's development should be chosen,

• Vote The feathers of the dolly should not get into the child's mouth or nose,

• It should be painted with non-toxic paints and should not contain toxic substances,

• Washable, durable, durable

• There should be no parts that are small enough to be swallowed or easily broken off and thrown into the child's mouth. There should be no joints where it could get stuck and no protrusions that could damage the eyes.

It should be of appropriate size and weight for the child's body,

• Toys should be inspected regularly, damaged and broken ones should be thrown away if they may be dangerous.

• Materials such as coins, matches, lighters and cigarettes may harm the child.

• Toys should have play value and should affect all areas of physical, mental, social and language development.

It should contain rich stimulants that can support it and be multifunctional.

Features of the Play Environment That Parents Will Prepare for the Child

• The child should prepare a corner at home where he can play and put his toys.

• The toys should be arranged in a way that the child can easily pick them up, choose what he wants to play with and put them back.

• This corner should be comfortable enough for the child to play, Care should be taken to ensure that the environment is free of objects and does not create danger. >

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  • Parents can collect the toys together by attracting the child's attention, instead of saying "Pick up your toys" to the child,

  • The child should be taught gradually that he is responsible for his own toys.

  • The child should be given a certain amount of time to play on the street,

  • When the child is playing alone or with his friends on the street, the playground should not be dangerous and should be within the mother's field of vision.

  • The playground where the child is taken should be free of gravel, stones and similar objects.

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