Title Children Toys By: Jay Freeman 16 Feb 07

Abstract Analyzed numerous children’s toys ranging from infancy to six yrs of age. Focused on the development aspects of motor skills, eye/hand coordination, communication skills, visual and sound stimulation, and learning skills. Demonstrated how children’s toys can play an important role in developing the crucial skills needed for their development throughout their lifespan.

Intro Children and parents interact with toys on a very different level. Children play with toys not knowing that they are not only for fun, chewing on, and throwing but they assist them in developing certain skills. Parents buy toys to help define their children’s learning skills and for their child’s enjoyment. Adults also use toys to help rehabilitate children in hospitals and even if they don’t know it they choose certain toys that are gender specific.

Purpose of Current Research The purpose for this experiment is to see how children develop in an environment where toys are an important part of their learning process. To understand how toys assist parents in teaching their children important skills.

Hypothesis Children’s toys effect how children develop throughout their lifespan.

Method Visited the website to examine kids outdoor games and toys. Visited the website to examine numerous children’s toys. Collected four articles from the MSU Library for background information on child development and toys. Examined how children’s toys from these different stores can help in the development of crucial skills needed to help children successfully develop. Visited Toys R Us and examined 15 toys ranging in ages from birth to 6 yrs of age.

Results The results of this experiment was that Child Development has many factors. Toys help children starting at birth to develop in their environment. Parents now have more resources to get the best products for their children to play with and learn. Gender stereotyping with toys happens daily without a conscious thought about it. The saying boys need to play with boy toys and girls with girl toys is common. Hospital toys are used and needed to help children recover and rehabilitate. Overall, there are many toy makers who claim that their toy is the best for learning a certain skill. Although the toy companies claim their toys are the best, they all do the same thing.

Discussion Visited Toys R Us and examined toys starting with infants. The first toy was a Gummy Guppy teathing toy made by Sassy and a Peek A Boo Panda Bood made by Fisher Price also a teathing toy. This toy was multicolored with four different textured surfaces. This toy fits in with Sigmund Freud’s oral stage of development. Next group of toys are for toddlers and go along with Piaget’s sensorimotor stage of gevelopment. Musical Learning Table made by Fisher Price emphasizes learning colors, numbers and sounds though music. Electronic Walker Andador Musical made by B.R. Bruin assist children in learning how to walk and recognize shape. The children have to put the right shape in to the correct hole. Next was Musical Stacking Rings made by B.R. Bruin. (Print out on left of toy sold by Toys R Us). Teaches order with shapes through visual and sound stimulation. Next was Magnet Capital Letters made by Playskool. Teaches how to spell and also comes in braille. A 200 piece wooden block set made my Imaginarium (Print out on right of toy sold by Toys R Us). Encourages hand eye coordination, develops motor skills, and demonstrates cause and effect. These toys range in price from $31.99 down to $3.99. Next toys examined were for children ages 5 and up. These two toys came in blue and pink to represent gender type toys. The were both computer toys that taught how to spell, read, and do math. One was more expensive than the other and both make by V Tech. The idea of one is a boys computer and the other being a girls computer. According to the article Social Interactions and Play Patterns of Parents and Toddlers with Feminine, Masculine, and Neutral Toys, many children display toy preferences for boy/girl toys by time they are months of age.

Discussion (Caldera, Yvonne M., & Huston, Althea C. 1977). According to a study by Marion Still McDowell labeled Frequency of Choice of Play Materials by Pre-school Children, boys ranging from 2-4 when given the option of different toys tend to choose building blocks and construction material to play with. Girls in the same age group tend to play with toys used in playing house. This study also demonstrates that children even at an early age identify with gender specific toys. (McDowell, Marion Still, 1937). Another toy examined was a Marching Band Kit made by First Act Discovery inspires learning through music. Intellectual development, emotional development, physical development and social interaction. This toy goes along with Vygotsky’s opinion about social development within children. The website for highlights demonstrated how children learning books also help develop hand and eye coordination through the many activities in the book. This book is available for a subscription at around $10-12 dollars a month. Another website studied was toystogrowon.com which is similar to Toys R Us. They sell toys for enjoyment and also to assist children in their learning process. The final point examined in this project was how children toys are used in a hospitals to help rehabilitate them. This study led by Grace Langdon, PhD called A Study of the Uses of Toys in a Hospital. Her conclusions were that toys can play a vital role in helping children recover in a hospital setting. (Langdon, Grace, PhD, 1948).

References Caldera, Yvonne M., Huston, Althea C., O’Brien, Marion (1989). Social Interactions and Play Patterns of Parents and Toddlers with Feminine, Masculine, and Neutral Toys. Child Development, 60, Retrieved February 12, 2006, from the PsycArticles database. Eckerman, Carol O., and Whatley, Judith L. (1977). Toys and Social Interaction between Infant Peers. Child Development, 48, Retrieved February 12, 2006, from the PsycArticles database. Langdon, Grace, PhD (1948). A Study of the Uses of Toys in a Hospital. Child Development, 19, Retrieved February 12, 2006, from the PsycArticles database. McDowell, Marion Still (1937). Frequency of Choice of Play Materials by Pre-School Children. Child Development, 8, Retrieved February 12, 2006, from the PsycArticles database.

Toy Research, Retrieved February 8, 2006, from Toy Research, Retrieved February 8, 2006, from Toy Research, Retrieved February 5, 2006, from Toy Research, Retrieved January 31, 2006, from Toys R Us Toy store in Wichita Falls, Tx.