Toys for children 3-6 years

Children from 3 to 6 years need toys that can be a stimulus in this very lively phase of development. Toys that stimulate active play, that help them, that is, to give free rein to creativity . It is also essential that the toys are age-appropriate and do not present risks.

How many toys should children aged 3 to 6 have?

Our houses are invaded by toys, too many toys, most of which are absolutely useless because they are relegated to oblivion after a few hours or a few days. How many times has it happened to you? The child opens the box, plays for a while and then puts the toy aside without thinking about it anymore.

And instead the toys must be useful, that is, they must play their role of helping the growth and development of the child's abilities . Unfortunately, however, in most cases, the criterion according to which toys are made available to our children are others, often wrong.

We should therefore choose more carefully and avoid compulsive accumulation. Few toys, but carefully chosen .

How to choose toys for children from 3 to 6 years

The first criterion is the one we have just mentioned: utility . Before buying a toy, therefore, let us ask ourselves what use our child can make of it, if and how it will play with it and whether it will be functional to its development. And since most of the games that come into our homes come from uncles, grandparents and other family members and / or friends, we also invite them to ask the same questions.

Another important criterion is quality . There are some brands that can guide us in the choice. Check that the CE mark is present, to guarantee that the toy has been manufactured in compliance with European legislation. The written Safe Toys indicates that the toy is not only compliant with European legislation, but has also been subjected to a safety test, under the supervision of the Italian Toy Safety Institute . In the event that the toy is electronic, check that the package has the initials IMQ of the Institute for the quality mark to guarantee that it has been tested for safety.

It is also essential that the toy is age-appropriate. The problem, it is true, arises above all before the three years, but even later it is important to take them into account. If, for example, I place a building box bearing the indication 6-12 years in the hands of a four-year-old child, it is highly probable that the game turns into unnecessary frustration.

Finally, we try to provide our children with a varied choice of toys. Few games, but different from each other .

Which toys to choose for children from 3 to 6 years?

Musical instruments . Music, according to various studies conducted in recent years, favors the development of the child. Simple musical instruments, for example tambourines and whistles, although they are not really toys, are certainly very useful and amusing objects for playing creatively with children and favoring their correct development, from different points of view. We can then also have fun creating DIY musical instruments with our children, for example, just filling a plastic bottle with sand and hearing what the noise is, or playing whistle inside an empty bottle.

You can learn more about the importance of music for children's development

Modeling dough . Around the age of three, children begin to explore their creative qualities with greater awareness and they must be encouraged, putting the right tools in their hands, the modeling dough is one of them. You can buy any type of modeling paste suitable for the age group or make it at home. The best do-it-yourself modeling dough is pizza dough : cheap and elastic; if you wish you can also have fun coloring it with fed dyes. Even the sugar paste can be used for the purpose, but it is more expensive. You can then equip yourself with molds and various tools suitable for shaping the dough, to give your children even more tools that help them unleash creativity. Children like to engage in activities that allow them to see a result and the modeling dough is perfect for this purpose.

Drawing materials . Okay, not even the drawing materials are exactly toys, but they represent, perhaps, the best tools that we can put in the hands of our 3-6 year-old children to help them in the development of the various skills: crayons, markers, tempera (for older children ), paper, stencils, glitter, colored cards ... etcetera etc. are all objects that cannot be missing in the children's toy box. Be careful to choose non-toxic and perfectly washable products.

Construction . There are constructions of many shapes and materials. These toys help develop hand-eye coordination and train movement precision, as well as creativity. Like the modeling dough, they offer the possibility of engaging in an activity that gives a result. Therefore, children get satisfaction from playing with buildings and at the same time developing their skills. Different types of construction should preferably be stored in different containers.

And then there's only dolls, little cars, little trains, plastic crockery, stuffed animals, doll sets ... and so on. The important thing is, in fact, to choose according to the right criteria, to favor active play, to vary and not to exaggerate with the quantity of toys.