Toys for a 1 year old [duplicate]

Question

Possible Duplicate:
How to better engage myself with my 15 month old

This is my first child, and she is getting now 1 year old.

What type of type of toys can a father or mother to play to help her grow mentally and psychologically, and entertain her at the same time?

Answer 1

The child is one year old. At this stage it's learning from everything around it. Try to give the child different (but safe) objects and see what they gets engrossed in without trying to push them in a particular direction and take it from there.

For example, different coloured clothes, dolls, moving objects like cars, building blocks. They don't even have to be "toys", just any objects that pique the imagination. Remember that everything is new and educative at this stage.

Regarding play. Touch, hold and cuddle your child as much as you can till the age of 5. This is known to have psychological and mental benefits going forward. The same applies to rough and tumble play (safely) in parks and indoor playgrounds or even in the house. The bonding benefits are immense too.

If the weather permits, allow the child to go out and play with them. A ball or wheelable vehicle would help.

At this age kids generally don't play with other kids, but indulge in parallel play, so don't worry too much about that aspect.

Lastly, rather than expensive toys, give the child your time, become a child while playing with the child.

Answer 2

Alok has answered question part, however, there is an important thing I need to refer to, which is watching TV for kids.

After doing some research, here are my results:

According to some research of "American Academy of Pediatrics", under the title of "BABIES AND TODDLERS SHOULD LEARN FROM PLAY, NOT SCREENS", those are the key findings:

1. Many video programs for infants and toddlers are marketed as “educational,” yet evidence does not support this.
2. Quality programs are educational for children only if they understand the content and context of the video. Studies consistently find that children over 2 typically have this understanding.
3. Unstructured play time is more valuable for the developing brain than electronic media.
4. Children learn to think creatively, problem solve, and develop reasoning and motor skills at early ages through unstructured, unplugged play.
5. Free play also teaches them how to entertain themselves.
6. Young children learn best from—and need—interaction with humans, not screens.
7. Parents who watch TV or videos with their child may add to the child’s understanding, but children learn more from live presentations than from televised ones.
8. When parents are watching their own programs, this is “background media” for their children.
9. It distracts the parent and decreases parent-child interaction.
10. Its presence may also interfere with a young child’s learning from play and activities.
11. Television viewing around bedtime can cause poor sleep habits and irregular sleep schedules, which can adversely affect mood, behavior and learning.
12. Young children with heavy media use are at risk for delays in language development once they start school, but more research is needed as to the reasons.

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• The report also recommends that parents and caregivers:

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1. Set media limits for their children before age 2, bearing in mind that the "American Academy of Pediatrics" discourages media use for this age group.
2. Have a strategy for managing electronic media if they choose to engage their children with it; Instead of screens, opt for supervised independent play for infants and young children during times that a parent cannot sit down and actively engage in play with the child. For example, have the child play with nesting cups on the floor nearby while a parent prepares dinner;
3. Avoid placing a television set in the child’s bedroom; and
4. Recognize that their own media use can have a negative effect on children.