Toddlers are curious beings who love to explore the world around them. As a parent or caregiver, you may be wondering how to provide them with the right toys that can help them learn and grow while having fun at the same time. One such toy that can benefit your toddler’s development is a shape sorting toy.
In this article, we’ll explore the many benefits of shape sorting toys for toddlers and how they can help your child develop crucial skills such as hand-eye coordination, problem-solving, and more.
What are shape sorting toys for toddlers?
Shape sorting toys for toddlers are educational toys designed to help young children develop their cognitive and motor skills. They typically consist of a box or container with several holes or openings of various shapes, along with a set of blocks or shapes that correspond to the openings.
The goal of the toy is for the child to match the blocks to the correct openings based on their shape. This helps children develop their problem-solving skills, spatial reasoning, and hand-eye coordination. Shape sorting toys often come in bright colors and may have additional features such as textures or sounds to further engage children. They can be made from a variety of materials including wood, plastic, and fabric.
When should toddlers do shape sorter?
Toddlers can begin playing with shape sorters as early as 6 months old, although the age range can vary depending on the individual child’s development.
At this age, children may enjoy exploring the blocks and container with their hands and mouths, but they may not yet have the fine motor skills to match the shapes to the corresponding holes. As they continue to develop, they will gradually begin to understand the concept of matching shapes and will be able to complete the task on their own.
By around 18 months to 2 years of age, most toddlers should be able to match the shapes to the holes with minimal assistance. However, they may still need help with more complex shapes or may enjoy repeating the activity multiple times.
Ultimately, the best time for a toddler to start playing with a shape sorter depends on their individual development and interests. As with any toy or activity, it’s important to provide age-appropriate supervision and guidance to ensure the child’s safety and help them get the most out of the experience.
What are some of the key developmental milestones that shape sorting toys can help toddlers achieve?
Sorting toys like shape sorters and activity cubes are versatile toys. They are fun and offer a lot of early learning opportunities. You can use them to teach your child about shapes and colours. It also helps them develop dexterity, hand-eye coordination, fine motor skills and many more. Sorting toys can help toddlers achieve several key developmental milestones, including:
- Hand-eye coordination: Sorting toys can help toddlers develop hand-eye coordination as they learn to manipulate and place objects into different compartments or slots.
- Cognitive development: Sorting toys can help toddlers develop cognitive skills such as problem-solving, spatial awareness, and understanding of cause and effect relationships.
- Color recognition: Sorting toys can help toddlers learn to recognize and differentiate between different colors.
- Shape recognition: Sorting toys can help toddlers learn to recognize and differentiate between different shapes.
- Fine motor skills: Sorting toys can help toddlers develop their fine motor skills as they manipulate and handle the small objects.
- Counting skills: Sorting toys that involve counting or placing objects in a specific order can help toddlers develop their counting skills.
Overall, sorting toys can provide a fun and engaging way for toddlers to learn and develop important skills that will benefit them in various aspects of their lives.
What are some fun and creative ways to play with shape sorting toys with toddlers?
As you can see, shape sorters really are great for your child’s cognitive development! Shape sorting toys are a great way to help toddlers develop their cognitive and motor skills. There are lots of activities you can do with them too and it’s so much fun to reach a shape sorter milestone as they learn more skills. Here are some fun and creative ways to play with shape sorting toys with toddlers:
- Color sorting: Instead of sorting the shapes by their shapes, you can sort them by their colors. This will help toddlers learn their colors while also practicing their sorting skills.
- Mystery box: Put all the shapes in a box and have your toddler reach in to find a shape. Then, have them try to match the shape to the corresponding hole on the toy.
- Hide and seek: Hide the shapes around the room and have your toddler find them. Once they find them, have them sort them into the toy.
- Name that shape: Ask your toddler to name the shape before sorting it into the toy. This will help them learn the names of different shapes.
- Musical shapes: Play some music and have your toddler dance around with the shapes. When the music stops, they have to sort the shape they are holding into the toy.
- Sort by texture: If your shape sorting toy has shapes with different textures, have your toddler sort them by texture instead of shape. This will help them develop their tactile senses.
- Build with shapes: Use the shapes to build towers, castles, or other structures. This will help your toddler develop their spatial awareness and creativity.
Remember to always supervise your toddler during playtime and to choose age-appropriate toys. Have fun!
Sources and References
- “Benefits of Shape Sorter Toys.” Apt Parenting, 2 Dec. 2013, aptparenting.com/benefits-of-shape-sorter-toys.
- Hari, Aparna. “Shape Sorting Toys for Babies – How It Helps in Baby’s Development.” Being the Parent, 29 Nov. 2022, www.beingtheparent.com/shape-sorting-toys-for-babies/. Accessed 29 Mar. 2023.
- Corinne. “5 Amazing Benefits of Shape Sorters – Skinnedcartree.” Skinnedcartree, 15 Oct. 2021, skinnedcartree.com/2021/10/5-amazing-benefits-of-shape-sorters.html.
