Was Your Child’s Holiday Filled with Toys? It Can Be a Good Thing!

The holidays are known for their abundant and overindulgent nature and in some cases that includes toys. If you think your child may have gotten one too many toys this year, research shows that play-time is beneficial for children, so there’s no need to worry! 

Play-time is an important part of children’s development that can enhance their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social well-being according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP recommends at least two hours of object play, or playing with toys, each day.

While it’s normal for most parents to think children are getting enough play-time, Pediatricians warn that if kids are living a pressured and rushed lifestyle, they may not be getting all of the benefits they need from playing!

Stimulating your child’s senses of sight, hearing, touch, and sometimes even smell can be nurtured when playing with toys. Some educational toys will even help your children learn the alphabet, numbers, and how to read and write! Toys can do amazing things for your child’s development, so they can have fun and learn at the same time.

Toys are also a great way to help children find or further explore their passion. Children don’t need a lot of toys to get the benefits of play-time; just a few hours of uninterrupted play will help their development and enhance their brain function.  

Read more about play and childhood development on AAP.org.