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| Main > Preschool > Toys for Preschoolers |
Toys for Preschoolers
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Preschoolers (3, 4, 5 year olds) developmental milestones and their abilities and interests:
Preschool Physical Development
- runs, jumps, climbs, balances with assurance - by 5, gross motor skills are well developed.
- likes risks, tests of physical strength and skill - loves acrobatics and outdoor equipment.
- increasing finger control -can pick up small objects, cut on a line with scissors, hold pencil in adult grasp, string small beads (Most children in this age group can begin using toys with smaller components. If child is still mouthing objects, select toys without small parts.)
- expert builder - loves small construction materials and also vigorous activity with big blocks, large construction materials.
- by 5, rudimentary interest in ball games with simple rules and scoring.
Preschool Mental Development
- familiar with common shapes, primary colors.
- interest in simple number activities, alphabet play, copying letters, matching/sorting.
- by 5, sorts and matches using more than one quality at a time.
- around 4, begins to be purposeful and goal directed, to make use of a plan.
- interest in producing designs, including puzzles, and in constructing play worlds.
- first representational pictures.
- prefers realism.
- interest in nature, science, animals, time, how things work.
- peak interest in dramatic play - recreates adult occupations, uses costumes and props.
Preschool Social Development
- beginning to share and take turns, learning concept of fair play.
- by 5, play is cooperative, practical, conforming.
- interested in group pretend play.
- not ready for competitive play because hates to lose.
- enjoys simple board games based on chance, not strategy.
- more sex differentiation in play roles, interests.
- enjoys looking at books and listening to stories from books.
ALL TOYS for Preschoolers
Preschoolers prefer toys with realistic detail and working parts.
Increasing interest in dramatic and pretend play, by age 5, peak period for dramatic play, with all sons of props.
Period of peak interest in puppet play.
Increasing construction activity, often with plan or goal.
Period of peak interest in play scenes, small figures and cars.
Most children in this age group can begin using toys with smaller components. If child is still mouthing objects select toys without small parts.
Toys should be sturdy
- not likely to break easily into small pieces or leave jagged edges
- no sharp points or edges.
- not made of glass or brittle plastic.
Toys should be of nontoxic materials.
Toys should have no electrical parts unless supervised by adult.
Active Play
Push and Pull Toys
- small wagons.
- small wheelbarrow.
- push toys resembling adult tools - lawnmowers, vacuum, shopping cart.
- doll carriages and strollers.
from age 5
- full-size wagons, scooters.
Ride-On Toys
- tricycles sized to child.
- 3- and 4-wheel pedal toys.
- vehicles with steering mechanisms.
- prefer realistic, detailed vehicles.
- full-size rocking horse.
from age 4
- low-slung tricycles.
- battery-operated ride-ons.
from age 5
- small bicycle with training wheels and footbrakes, sized to child.
- bicycle helmet.
Outdoor and Gym Equipment
- adult supervision recommended for gym equipment.
- stationary outdoor climbing equipment.
- slides (with siderails) and ladders.
- swings with curved, soft seats.
- balance board.
from age 4
- equipment with movable parts, small seesaws, hanging rings.
- swings with flat seats, plastic or rubber belts
- rope ladders and ropes.
- gym sets with enclosures for pretend house or fort.
Sports Equipment
- balls of all shapes, sizes (If child is still mouthing objects, any object that appears to tit easily in the child's mouth, keep it away from the child.)
- double-blade ice skates.
- sleds size-graded (no handbrakes or steering mechanisms).
from age 4
- lightweight soft baseball and bat
- junior-sized soccer ball football.
- speed-graded roller skates (plastic wheels, no ball bearings for reduced speed).
- kites.
- wading pool.
from age 5
- jump ropes.
- skis (sized to child).
- flying disks (especially lightweight ones).
- flat nosed magnetic or Velcro darts.
- inner tubes, kickboards, mattresses for beginning swimmers (adult supervision needed).
Manipulative Play
Construction Toys
- solid wood unit blocks - large and small.
- large hollow blocks.
- most types of interlocking building systems, pieces of all sizes (plastic rather than metal pieces).
- no motorized parts.
- prefer sets that make realistic models.
- can connect pieces in specific order to create simple models.
Puzzles
- fit-in or framed puzzles
- age 3 up to 20 pieces
- age 4 20-30 pieces
- age 5 up to 50 pieces.
- large, simple jigsaw puzzles (10-25 pieces).
- number or letter puzzles, puzzle clocks
- cardboard puzzles.
Pattern-Making Toys
- bead stringing - longer, thinner string with stiff tip, large beads. (If child is still mouthing objects, any object that appears to fit easily in the child's mouth should be kept away from the child.)
- peg board with small pegs.
- color cubes/color forms.
- magnetic boards with shapes.
from age 4
- beginning interest in design materials - mosaic blocks, felt boards, can follow, copy simple sequence.
from age 5
- simple weaving (looper & heddle loom) small beads to string (1/2 in), block printing equipment.
Manipulative Toys
- matching toys by color, shape, or picture from age 4 by concept, letters (ABC), numbers (1-10).
- sorting toys, number rods.
- number boards with smaller pegs.
- simple counting toys, lock boxes.
- nesting toys with multiple pieces and screw closing.
from age 4
- geometrical concept toys.
from age 5
- simple models of mechanical devices or natural objects, more complex lotto matching toys.
Dressing, Lacing, Stringing Toys
- frames/cards to button, hook, tie.
from age 5
- simple sewing kits with thick cloth & blunt needle (with supervision).
Sand and Water Play Toys
- large and small sandbox tools, bubbles
- wind-tip bath toys, bath activity centers.
from age 4
- sand molds, water pump
- realistic working models of boats (no sharp metal parts).
Make-Believe Play
Dolls
- realistic dolls with detail and accessories, especially baby dolls.
- dolls with hair, moving eyes, movable limbs, special features.
from age 5
- child-proportioned dolls (can dress dolls if garments and fastenings are simple).
- paper doll. to be punched out.
Stuffed Toys
- stuffed toys with accessories - ribbons hells, simple clothes.
- realistic-looking toys replicas of famous characters.
- music box toys.
from age 5
Puppets
- simple sock or mitten puppets.
- finger puppets.
- simple puppet theater (no scenery)
from age 5
- hand-and-arm puppets.
- more detailed puppets, puppets with limbs.
Role-Play Materials
- dress-ups costumes of all types.
- realistic detailed equipment -- by 5 want it to really work
- housekeeping and cooking equipment.
- toy tclcphone, toy camera, doctor kits.
- military costumes and props
- specialized doll equipment.
- cash register, equipment to play store.
- play stages, large mirror.
Play Scenes
- scenes wilh a variety of realistic accessories and working parts.
- favorite themes - garage, farm, airport, space, fort.
- action/adventure sets, action figures.
- first doll house - simple, few rooms, easy access, space to move objects around, sturdy furnishings.
from age 5
- can manipulate very small pieces, attention to realistic detail.
Transportation Toys
- toy cars of all sizes - small metal cars, trucks with very realistic detail.
- large-scale trucks, road machinery that really works (dumps, digs).
- action/adventure vehicle sets.
- small, realistic trains.
from age 5
- small trains with tracks, can work most train coupling systems, can plan, build simple track layouts, wind-up and spring driven cars.
Projectile Toys (none before age 4)
- soft, flexible projectiles.
- action figures with projectile weapons.
from age 5
- guns shooting ping- pong or foam balls, soft darts.
CREATIVE PLAY
(arts, crafts, music)
Musical Instruments
- all rhythm instruments.
- xylophones.
- instruments that require blowing - harmonica, horns, whistles, simple recorder.
- wind-up music boxes.
- piano - one-finger tunes.
Art and Craft Materials
from age 3
- large crayons with many colors.
- color paddles.
- magic markers.
- finger and tempera paint.
- adjustable easel.
- brushes of various sizes.
- clay including modeling clay and tools.
- chalkboards and chalk of various sizes.
- scissors with rounded ends.
- paste and glue.
- simple block printing equipment.
- pop-it beads.
- large beads to string.
- simple sewing kits (without needles) until age 5
from age 4
- increased interest in art products also can copy order.
- workbench hammer nails and saw (with supervision ).
from age 5
- smaller crayons coloring books water-color paints, simple weaving loom
- small heads to string sewing kits with large blunt needles.
Audio-Visual Equipment
- hand -cranked music boxes.
- parent operated record, tape and CD player.
from age 4
- record and tape players for child to operate.
- simple video games.
from age 5
LEARNING PLAY
Games
- dominoes (color or number).
- simple matching and lotto games based on color, pictures.
- simple card games.
- bingo (picture).
from age 4
- first board games, based completely on chance - games should have few rules, simple scoring, no reading required beyond ABC, only a few pieces.
- games requiring simple fine-motor coordination (picking up or balancing objects).
Specific Skill Development Toys
- simple electronic and other teaching toys
for
- matching/sorting.
- shapes colors.
- numbers and letters.
from age 4
- simple computer programs for teaching color matching, letters classification, numbers, sounds.
- simple science models.
from age 5
- science materials - magnets, flashlight, shells and rocks, magnifying glass, stethoscope, prism, aquarium, terrarium.
- clock.
- printing set.
- toy typewriter or computer.
- simple calculator.
- computer programs to teach simple programming.
Books
- picture books, simple stories, rhymes.
- complex pop-up books.
- like complex illustrations with an abundance of detail.
age 3 interests
- here-and-now stories.
- animal stories.
- alphabet books.
- words and rhymes.
age 4 interests
- wild stories, silly humor.
- information books.
- familiar places, people.
age 5 interests
- realistic stories.
- poetry.
- primers.
- animals who behave like people.
Adapted from the CPSC Which Toy for Which Child booklet
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