Sound games: what are their benefits for children
The game is for children one of the most important activities for their development, because through it they explore and discover the world. In addition, the game allows them to develop a large number of cognitive, motor, emotional and even social skills.
It is normal to ask ourselves what kind of toys are best to help stimulate the development of our children, and it is that in the current market there are various options, which can make it difficult for us to select one.
If you want to know which toys are best for your child, consider sound toys, as these can offer various benefits for the little ones.
“Playing is the main activity of childhood and responds to the need of children to look, touch, browse, experiment, invent, imagine, learn, express, communicate, create, dream…”.
-Imma Marín-
The importance of sounds in development
Even before birth, sound is the medium that contacts the baby with its mother and with the outside world, being the most developed sense when it arrives in the world. In addition, hearing is a sense that they cannot control as they would with other senses such as sight, for example (by closing their eyes they stop perceiving stimuli). Check out more at our site.
So, through the sounds, the children contact their world and become familiar with it, listening to the voice of their mother and the closest family. Little by little, the other senses are strengthened, helping the child to have a broader perception of the world.
Thus, it is not difficult to understand why many people are inclined towards the use of sound toys to help stimulate children; They are toys that can be very funny , and that allow the little ones to entertain themselves for a long time.
“While playing, a child always behaves beyond his age, above his daily behavior. As long as he plays, it’s like he’s bigger than he is.”
-Lev Vygotsky-
Benefits of sound toys
The use of sound toys offers great advantages for the development of children. What are some of these benefits?
They encourage children to feel and develop the need to observe
Also, the need to explore the world around them; but not only that, but they also help them focus their attention on a particular point, which in this case would be the toy that generates the sound.
They stimulate their alertness through the use of sounds
This helps improve future attention, a cognitive ability critical to learning .
Promote speech development
This is thanks to their progressive familiarization with sounds, which they will try to imitate through vocalizations.
They favor social interactions
Through playing with sound toys, children can share time, space and the toy itself with their peers or caregivers, and this helps them to be more sociable and open when interacting with others .
They improve psychomotricity
Through the use of sound toys , motor skills are exercised by having to make movements to make them sound, and even fine motor skills , to grasp and press buttons, if the toy has them.
Promote learning by association
By having to associate sounds with movement or the use of certain toys, children begin to develop learning through association, essential for their school stage and for the development of intelligence .
They stimulate memory
Toys that have melodies or repetitive sounds also help stimulate the memory of the little ones by remembering the tune.
They stimulate creativity
This is due to the fact that these types of toys give children the opportunity to create different sounds through them, which stimulates their creativity and imagination .
“The playful world of children is as real and important for them as the world of work for adults. So, we must grant him the same dignity.”
-Bruno Bettelheim-
sound toy ideas
There is no infallible list that indicates which are the best sound toys for everyone, because each child is unique and perhaps what is fun for some of them may not be so much for others.
So, when choosing, take into account the child’s personality and their interests and motivations . That said, we can recommend some general options that can give you some ideas:
- Mobile phones with sound or music . They are ideal because, in addition to sounds, they have fun shapes and bright colors that help stimulate the child’s development.
- Stuffed animals with sound. Currently we find many dolls that can reproduce sounds, but it is recommended that they be soft, especially if they are very young children; then a stuffed animal is the perfect option.
- Musical instruments . You can choose toy musical instruments that allow him to create his own melodies . Many of these options have preset songs that can be fun and help stimulate memory and learning.
- Game centers with sounds . Here are the seats, walkers and bridges that have multiple buttons that emit different sounds. They are an interesting option that is also very fun for children.
“Children need freedom and time to play. The game is not a luxury. The game is a necessity”.
-Kay Renfield Jamieson-
Before buying sound toys… keep in mind the following
Keep in mind that in the case of very young children, their hearing can still be very sensitive , so when looking for a sound toy, lean towards those that do not generate loud or high-pitched noises, so that they will not be bothered .
Gradual start
On the other hand, when children begin to play with toys that make sounds, it is advisable to do so gradually without presenting, for example, a car that has loud music as the first option, as it can even scare children.
Of course, this will also depend on the age of the child; If it is a baby, it is advisable to start with rattles, mobiles or other objects that can collide with each other and produce sounds.
Surely you have seen that babies play by colliding with toys to make them sound, and this is not only fun but also a learning method for them.
The game as a learning method
Remember, the game is the main learning medium for the little ones; take advantage of this valuable resource to enhance their learning , their development and their skills.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a break from serious learning. But for children, play is a fundamental part of serious learning.”
-Fred Rogers-