6 Different Types of Educational Toys for Preschoolers

What are the different types of educational toys for preschoolers?

1. Wooden Blocks

2. Threading Toys

3. Memory Card Games

4. Scooter

5. Dress-up Sets & Props

6. Puzzles

As your child enters pre-school, you need to make sure they're equipped with the right but playful toys that support their overall development. 

With so many options available on the market, it can be confusing to know which ones can aid them in developing important skills. These include their motor, problem-solving, and cognitive skills. 

To get you started, this article curates a list of different types of educational toys for preschoolers. All toys mentioned here are fun and help spark creative and playful energy while learning a new thing or two during playtime. 

Wooden or Building Blocks

A good set of blocks is a classic toy that your child will use and play with for years to come. This toy opens up a whole new world of creativity and imagination.

Wooden & building blocks encourage fantasy play for young minds. It helps them develop their creativity, imagination, and problem-solving skills. One day, you’ll see them building a big castle in the sky with the block, and the next day, it’ll be a busy city. 

Aside from creativity, blocks aid in the development of your child’s motor skills. Their fine and gross motor skills work together when playing with wooden blocks. Their small finger muscles help them grip and hold pieces while larger muscles help them with bigger constructions. 

Over time, you’ll observe that your child has developed a longer concentration and attention span as they continue to play with their blocks. If you have friends come over, this is also the perfect toy to bring out to encourage sharing and cooperation. 

Having a colorful set like the Zigo Jr. My First Building Blocks can get them started building. The colorful block here teaches them how to connect pieces while creating something exciting. Other Zigo Jr. set like the City Car Building Blocks can add more color to playtime!

Threading Toys

Fine motor skills are the ability to make movements using the small muscles found on your fingers, hands, and wrists. These are essential for pre-writing. That’s why it’s good to find toys that will help your pre-schoolers practice this skill. 

For pre-schoolers, threading toys are a good choice. These are toys where your child strings objects or beads with a hollow center onto a strong. It’s like making a necklace, but with jumbo beads and thicker string. 

This toy teaches them how to grip and handle smaller kinds of objects. It also requires a lot of concentration and perseverance on their part to get many beads through the string. 

Make this toy fun and engaging for your kids by making a game out of it! Call out a color and have them find the bead or piece in a pile before having them thread it through the string. 

Memory Card Games

Memory card games are a good way to engage your child’s brain at home. This card game requires them to find a pair among the set of laid-out cards. 

Any kind of game teaches your child how to cooperate. They’re required to follow a set of rules and take turns with other players. In their turn, their decision-making skills are activated, forcing them to choose two cards. 

Gather your child and their friends to show them how fun a memory card game can be. You can even make your memory cards at home by printing out a set of pictures. Tailor it to your child’s hobbies whether they’re flowers or cars or cartoon characters. 

Scooter

A scooter is a good way to get your child to step out of the house and explore their neighborhood. This toy teaches them how to steer and move using their bodies. 

Through this toy, kids learn how to use their legs to move faster, slower, and stop. They’ll discover that they can use their body weight to steer right and left. 

As they scoot down the street, your children develop body awareness and a good sense of direction. Using their legs also allows them to develop their gross motor skills. 

Dress up clothes and props

Playing dress-up is a quintessential part of childhood. Encourage your kids to do this by providing them with costumes and props. 

Start with toys and costumes that feature your local community helpers. Let them pretend to be a firefighter, policeman, or even a doctor. This can teach them about the world and community they live in. 

It can also be as simple as playing house. The Dream Kitchen Set gives your child their stove, pots, and pans. This will get them started in pretending to serve people at a restaurant or cooking for people at home. Get the whole family involved by letting them pretend to be customers so your child can take their order. 

Puzzles

Puzzles help in developing fine motor skills and sharpening your child’s hand-eye coordination. However, not all children start with 24-piece puzzles. 

As your child enters pre-school, start with simple 2 to 4-piece puzzles to teach them how to connect a picture. The 5-piece Land Vehicles Puzzle can be the next step once they get the hang of putting a picture together. Later on, you can give them an 8-piece Air Transport Puzzle. 

The mismatched sizes and slots in a puzzle teach a child perseverance in completing a task. It encourages them to solve challenging problems given to them. At the same time, they develop visual perception by imagining a bigger picture from the smaller pieces given to them. 

Key Takeaway

With so many different types of educational toys for preschoolers available, you’ll never run out of options. Make playtime fun while working on important skills that your kids need. 

If you’re looking for great educational toys, take a look at Funtastic Stuff’s online store. We have a wide range of toys your kids will love. Feel free to message us if you need help finding the right toy for your child.