These Are The Toys Your Child Should Be Playing With, According To A Psychologist

For that reason, the toys kids play with are especially key during this time. Here's what types of toys and methods of play Wegner recommends kids engage with, depending on what qualities parents are looking to foster.

At this stage, kids are just beginning to learn how to problem-solve. So introducing toys like puzzles, LEGOs, and even giving them tasks to do around the house like helping to put away dishes can help encourage learning. "Where's Waldo books are also great for younger kids," says Wegner. "Try introducing mazes, tic-tac-toe, and board games like Chutes and Ladders, Lincoln Logs, plain old building bricks, and Magna-Tiles when you want to help them develop an interest in learning."

When it comes to encouraging creativity, the possibilities are endless. But Wegner says the key here is providing open, unstructured time. "It’s important for cognition, independence, and creativity to provide lots of art time where kids can create whatever they want," she explains. "Provide different-size crayons and markers, clay, nontoxic paint, kid scissors, and lots of colored paper, kid glue, Play-Doh… really any kind of kid-safe art material. Music also stokes kids with creativity. Play all sorts of music! Wooden spoons, pots and pans, and little harmonicas."

In an era when kindness is more important than ever, Wegner notes that it's important to start kids young. Wegner suggests encouraging kids to create art and letters when people are sick, or for their birthdays, or to show your appreciation "just because." "Building kindness is all about doing for others," she says. "Baking is another kid-friendly way of creating for others. Egocentrism is also a hallmark of this stage, so it's not natural for them to think about others. Therefore, the responsibility falls on the parents to help encourage kind, prosocial behavior. Hosting a bake sale is great, especially if the kids can give all or half of the profits to charity."

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