Why Do Children Need Smart Toys For Potential Benefits?

In today's rapidly advancing technological era, smart toys are gradually becoming a part of children's lives, attracting significant attention in the parenting field. Why do children need smart toys?

Reasons Why Children Need Smart Toys

Children are in a phase of rapid development, with their sensory and cognitive abilities constantly improving. Smart toys often feature bright colors, interesting shapes, and pleasant sounds, which can fully engage children's visual, auditory, and tactile senses, helping them better perceive and explore the world. For example, some smart musical toys can play different styles of music, enhancing children's musical perception.

Many smart toys do not have fixed ways of playing, allowing children to manipulate and explore them according to their own ideas and creativity. This process makes their thinking more active and broadens their imagination. For instance, some smart building block toys that can be freely combined allow children to create their own unique structures or scenes.

Some smart toys are interactive, enabling children to play with parents or peers, learning to share, cooperate, and communicate during interactions. For example, interactive smart pet toys allow children to talk and interact with them, mimicking pet care scenarios and thus improving social skills.

By solving various problems and challenges set by smart toys, children can exercise their logical thinking and problem-solving abilities. Toys like smart puzzles and maze toys are good examples.

Smart toys can continuously bring novelty and interest to children. They often incorporate the latest technological elements, making them more attractive and fun compared to traditional toys, and can keep children's attention and engagement for a longer time, such as automatic return flying balls .

How to Choose Suitable Smart Toys for Children  

1. Age Appropriateness

Different age groups have different developmental needs and skill levels. For example, newborns can have soothing toys with soft music and gentle lights; children aged 6 months to 1 year can try simple smart musical toys or toys with tactile feedback; those aged 1 to 3 years can play with smart toys that have simple interactive functions and can train hand-eye coordination; children over 3 years can choose more challenging and educational smart toys, such as coding toys.

2. Safety

Ensure that the materials of smart toys are safe and non-toxic, with no sharp edges that could harm children. Pay attention to battery safety to prevent children from swallowing or contacting batteries and causing danger.

3. Educational Function

  Choose smart toys with educational significance, such as those that can enhance language skills, logical thinking, creativity, and cognitive abilities. For instance, smart story machines can help improve children's language expression and comprehension abilities.

4. Interactivity

Highly interactive smart toys can better attract children's participation, enhancing parent-child or peer interactions. Smart conversational robots, for example, can communicate and interact with children.

5. Fun

Interesting smart toys can stimulate children's interest and enthusiasm, making them more willing to explore and play. For instance, dancing smart toys can easily capture children's attention.

6. Quality and Durability

  Choose reliable, well-crafted smart toys that can be used for a long time, reducing safety risks caused by quality issues.

7. Children's Interests 

Respect children's personalities and interests, choosing smart toys they genuinely like. If a child is interested in music, choose related smart musical instrument toys.

8. Avoid Overly Complex Toys

Overly complex smart toys may frustrate children, causing them to lose interest. Choose toys that are relatively simple to operate and easy for children to use.

Conclusion

Parents need to pay attention to several issues when choosing smart toys for their children.

Ensure the quality and safety of toys to avoid potential dangers. Choose appropriate toys according to the child's age and developmental stage, avoiding toys that are too advanced or lagging. Also, reasonably control the time children spend playing with smart toys to prevent over-dependence.

Smart toys have many potential benefits for children's growth. They are fun companions on the road of children's development and can have a positive impact. However, parents also need to guide and use them correctly, allowing smart toys to better serve children's healthy growth.

References

1. Hirsh-Pasek K, Zosh JM, Golinkoff RM, et al. Putting education in "educational" apps: lessons from the science of learning. Psychol Sci Public Interest, 2015, 16(1): 3-34.

2. Sharkins KA, Newton AF, Albaiz NE, et al. Preschool children's exposure to technology in their homes. Contmp Early Childhood Educ J, 2017, 45(1): 114-128.

3. Li JB, Chen XQ, Li DM, et al. Smart education for young children: Insights from China. Science, 2019, 363(6430): 926-929.

4. Chiong C, Shuler C. Learning: Is there an app for that? Investigations of young children's usage and learning with mobile educational apps. J Res Child Educ, 2010, 24(1): 28-43.

5. Barr R. Memory constraints on infant learning from picture books, television, and touchscreens. Child Dev Perspect, 2013, 7(4): 205-210.

6. Vandewater EA, Bickham DS, Lee JH. Time well spent? Relating television use to children's free-time activities. Pediatrics, 2006, 117(2): e181-e191.

7. American Academy of Pediatrics. Media use in school-aged children and adolescents. Pediatrics, 2016, 138(5): e20162592.