There's a great deal of research to support the notion that play is essential to healthy human development in a variety of ways. Toys are an important element of play. But are there toys, games or activities that are more beneficial than others for acquiring certain skills?

We believe that books are the single most important vehicle for learning and social unity in the world today, making them doubly important for children. Books encourage independent learning, igniting children's creativity and imagination by introducing them to new people, places, and ideas, while fostering language skills, expanding their vocabulary and so much more. Along with books, there are many toys which also aid in the acquisition and development of a variety of skills.

Our guide will help you identify specific developmental skills, why they're important and which books and toys are generally considered to be the helpful in terms of fostering development. Additionally, we've tried to include toys for children of all ages, from simple, basic items to the more advanced and complex. And remember, that whichever toys you choose, never underestimate the power of a good book!

"I played with an idea, and grew willful; tossed it into the air; transformed it; let it escape and recaptured it; made it iridescent with fancy, and winged it with paradox." Oscar Wilde, playwright, novelist

Language + Phonics Development
Fostering a child's language and communication skills at a young age is essential in preparing them for the life they'll lead as an adult. The extent to which a child masters things like spelling, vocabulary, grammar and elocution, will be important factors in determining socialization, career paths, earning potential and more. One of the simplest and best ways to do this is by reading to a child regularly.

Toys that promote language skills include:
 

Books: traditional, electronic and DVD video boards
 

Alphabet blocks
 

Sing-along music
 

Board games - especially those that use words and letters, like Scrabble

Toys that stimulate dramatic play:
 

Drama and storytelling toys: themed playsets, action figures, animal and fairy-tale figurines

Independent Play
Perhaps just as important as fostering cooperation and collaborative skills, teaching a child the importance of independent play is beneficial in a variety of ways. In addition to aiding in concentration and memory skills, independent play teaches children the importance of their role as an individual in group settings, fostering self-esteem and confidence. It's also thought that self-sufficient children often grow to be self-starters in their adult life.

Toys that promote independent play include:
 

Puzzle and word-game books
 

Building blocks and stacking toys
 

Construction and assembly toys
 

Science and Discovery games

Problem Solving
As adults, we engage in problem solving on a variety of levels and magnitudes in our everyday lives. From simple tasks, like coordinating picking the kids up from school to more complex and involved situations, such as planning for our retirement. Problem solving benefits greatly from basic math skills, as well as the ability to identify hierarchies and invoke logic and reason. It's also a tenet for basic survival and can help us in emergency situations, as well as managing events in potentially dangerous situations, like traffic accidents.

Toys that promote problem solving skills include:
 

Books - all types!
 

Train sets
 

Puzzles
 

Shape sorters
 

Cards and card games
 

Strategy-based board games, like checkers and chess

Imaginative Play
Instilling a sense of curiosity, discovery and exploration in a child helps foster a healthy imagination which will serve them throughout their entire life. By tearing down the boundaries and defying convention, children are able to discover and learn more, thereby expanding a child's experiences via thought-provoking play. Additionally, imaginative play can help with social skills, exposing a child to a variety of perspectives through simple activities, like dress-up and make-believe.

Toys that promote imaginative play include:
 

Books - all types!
 

Toy trainsets, airports, etc.
 

Dress-up costumes - firefighter, witch, dragon, etc.
 

Action and adventure figurines
 

Toy trucks, bulldozers, cars, etc.
 

Portable playsets
 

Dolls, doll houses
 

Play food, grocery stores & cash registers

Motor Skills - Fine and Gross
Mastering motor skills at a young age opens up a world of learning possibilities for children. While nurturing gross motor skills, or those that enable us to control large groups of muscles in our bodies, is clearly important, we shouldn't overlook the more delicate, or fine motor skills, that enable us to engage in the most dexterously demanding and intricately involved activities.

Toys that promote the development of motor skills include:
Gross Motor Skills:
 

Circus toys (juggling balls)
 

Drum sets and musical instruments
 

Dancing and stretching games

Fine Motor Skills:
 

Peg puzzles, lacing boards
 

Assembly and construction toys
 

Toy cash registers, button-activated games and toys
 

Modeling clay, finger-painting
 

Dolls which can be dressed-up

Musical Creativity
Music is the primary gateway to learning, and is typically the medium by which a child first becomes exposed to language, through nursery rhymes and sing-alongs. Music and sound also enable children to develop more refined listening skills, discerning good noises from bad. It also helps develop sensory skills (especially the sense of hearing), grasp mathematical concepts through time and meter and so much more.

Toys that promote the development of music skills and creativity include:
 

Rattles, shakers, tambourines
 

Sing-along books and recordings
 

Toy instruments: piano, guitar, accordion, recorder, harmonica, flute, etc.
 

Books - all types!

Basic Math Skills
Math permeates more areas of our lives on a daily basis than perhaps most of us realize. That's why it's absolutely critical to encourage the development of math skills in children. From telling time and counting money to predicting the weather, building skyscrapers, simulating climate-change scenarios and more. It's also generally thought that math skills facilitate learning in other areas as well, by enabling children to grasp concepts of order and hierarchies.

Toys that promote the development of math skills include:
 

Books - all types!
 

Abacus
 

Card games
 

Board games that involve rolling dice and/or play money
 

Clocks and timepieces

Cognitive Development
Nurturing healthy cognitive development is arguably the equivalent of laying a solid foundation -- everything a child learns and does revolves around basic mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning. It's often discussed in seemingly complex terms, like Sensorimotor and pre-operational, but at its core cognitive development is both simple yet all-encompassing, and includes such things as intelligence, physical interactions , the use of symbols, language, memory, imagination, ego and logic to name a few.

Toys that promote the development of cognitive skills include:
 

Books - all types!
 

Alphabet blocks
 

Building and construction toys
 

Crayons, paint and art supplies
 

Costumes and role-playing games

Sharing + Social Play
Researchers now know that sharing and cooperating through various social channels and networks is the key reason why humans have evolved so rapidly and successfully. As such, it makes perfect sense to instill a sense of cooperation, while fostering sharing and social skills in children, so that they may become active, responsible members of society.

Toys that promote the development of social skills include:
 

Group games, like cards and board games
 

Activity sets
 

Building and construction toys
 

Dancing games such as Twister and Hullabaloo
 

Books - all types!

Science + Experimentation
Scientific endeavors have enabled us to live fuller, happier lives on a number of fronts. From high-speed jet travel and computers to fighting infectious diseases, space exploration and countless accomplishments and milestones in between. Encouraging experimentation with science based concepts enables children to understand causal relationships, explore the "what ifs", discover new frontiers, patent new inventions and so much more.

Toys that promote the development of scientific skills and experimentation include:
 

Microscopes and telescopes
 

Toy planes and rockets
 

Chemistry kits
 

Models, like dinosaurs, animals, buildings, etc.
 

Books - all types!

Visualization + Memory
Memory and visualization are interdependent skills: the ability to visualize aids the ability to remember, and vice versa. Long considered the cornerstones of development, memory and visualization are essential to basic learning. Nurturing memory skills at a young age will help children learn a variety of skills and concepts more rapidly, while aiding in skill and knowledge retention down the road. Visualization plays a vital role by giving shape to abstract concepts and complex objects, while bolstering skills that involve perspective, temporal and spatial relationships and more.

Toys that promote the development of memory and visualization include:
 

Flash cards
 

Books - all types!
 

Trivia, history, quiz and quest based games
 

Magic sets
 

Arts and crafts materials
 

Building and assembly projects