Play is the foundation of learning and holistic development during the 0-6 age range. Playing means developing motor skills, exploring the environment, emotional development, integrating the world around them, and relating to others…Playing is living.
Due to the importance of toys in a child's life, it is necessary to consider various aspects when choosing them.
Toys without a specific function leave room for creativity
First, it's important that toys aren't structured or stereotypical; that is, toys that don't already have a specific function due to their inherent characteristics. Children need to play with materials that allow their imagination and creativity to flourish. Depending on the child's needs at any given moment, the same toy can be an airplane, a dog, or a tree. The child decides what it is and how to use it. If we give them a very specific toy, no matter how much the child imagines, it doesn't allow the toy to be anything else.
It is also important to observe what material the toys are made of; if plastic predominates,we are depriving the child of complete sensory development; plastic always has the same or very similar qualities in terms of texture and temperature.
If, on the other hand, the materials are varied, such as wool, wood, cotton, silk and other natural materials, we are giving the opportunity to experience a wide range of sensations that are related to their sensory development.
On the other hand, adults often look for a cognitive benefit in toys, for example, toys that help develop fine motor skills, shape sorters to work on logic, animal puzzles so children can start differentiating between animals, etc. These types of toys are not appropriate for this age group; they are not necessary for such young children, and we would even venture to say they are harmful.
Children learn through natural experiences, by imitating and exploring the world. When we give them toys like these, we're not educating them in freedom,but rather indoctrinating their brains and, therefore, their learning. It's not the fault of mothers and fathers that these kinds of toys are in most homes; the market itself leads us to this. These are standards deeply ingrained in society, and it's difficult to break free from them, especially if you don't know they aren't good options for development.
How to choose toys for 0 to 6 years old
In childhood, play is real; every experience is felt very authentically. That's why it's so important to offer children beautiful objects that evoke nurturing, warmth, and protection. Play is also an integral part of their relationship with the world, helping them to understand and integrate it. For all these reasons, our recommendation for toys during this stage is as follows:
- Cestas de mimbre con diferentes materiales naturales y que estén a su alcance. Por ejemplo, una cesta con piñas de diferentes tamaños, otra cesta con piedras de diversas formas, otra cesta con troncos de madera que podéis coger en el campo (también los encontraréis en determinadas jugueterías).
- Another important material is fabric, which can be of different sizes, colors, and even textures. Silk and cotton fabrics are best. A variety of fabrics will allow for different games, such as building forts, layering them, hiding underneath them, and so on. Brightly colored fabrics will attract their attention, so having a rainbow of colors would be even more appealing.
- También es importante, independientemente de que sea niño o niña, que tengan un muñeco en una cunita o camita y que esta esté a su altura. Nuestra recomendación es que el muñeco no sea de plástico y que no tenga la expresión de la cara muy definida. Los muñecos de trapo son más agradables al tacto y permiten una mayor acomodación con el niño como si se tratase de un bebé real. Si la expresión de la cara no es muy marcada ayudará al niño a poder imaginarse diferentes emociones: puede estar llorando, enfadado, riendo, etc. según el juego de cada momento.
- Los muñecos de animales son un recurso muy común en estas edades; nuestra recomendación es que los animales sean sencillos y que transmitan una belleza real. En diversas tiendas podréis encontrar animales tejidos a mano que transmiten la cualidad de cada animal de una forma muy natural. No es importante la cantidad sino la calidad, al estar hechos a mano y con tejidos naturales transmiten de una forma bonita las cualidades del reino animal. Esto hará que el niño interactúe de otro modo con ellos.
- Las pelotas de lana o de fieltro son de los juguetes preferidos de los niños de 1-2 años. Son pelotas no muy grandes que ellos pueden coger fácilmente y que les permite diversos juegos que principalmente fomentan su motricidad gruesa.
- Wooden cars also tend to attract their attention, and you can find them in different sizes and colors.
- Si hay suficientemente espacio en casa, el mobiliario Pikler es muy interesante para esta etapa. Los más destacados son la tabla curva, el triángulo y el arco. Cualquiera de ellos ayudará a su desarrollo motor de una forma libre y al desarrollo de su imaginación; por ejemplo, el arco o el triángulo, con una tela por encima se convierte en una cabaña o también puede ser un puente.
These are some of the basic toys for this age group; there are many others also related to Waldorf pedagogy, such as the rainbow, construction toys, the musical tree… Since there are so many and we can't talk about them all, we encourage you to ask us by leaving a comment through our social media: Facebook or Instagram.
To find these types of toys, we leave you a reference of stores: Veobio, Navara, Kanikas, Alupé and Loralora.
Y también os dejamos otros dos post de nuestro blog, en este podéis ampliar información sobre juguetes y en este otro, ideas para crear espacios de juego en casa.