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Sensory Toys & Other Toys that Make Noise
Home » Early Learning » Educational Toys » Sensory Toys & Other Toys that Make NoisePosted by Your Guide on March 14, 2006 4:21 PM
For the youngest children, it seems the toys that teach the most and that are most attractive, are the ones that make noise. Babies love to turn the knobs and pull the levers on the crib-side toys. Mirrors and even mobiles allow babies to see the world in a different way. But these days the mirrors light up and play music and the mobiles shine soft lights into the crib creating a disco ball effect.
Are all these gadgets really educational? The true answer is that some are, and some are not. Some toys really are just annoying but what adults must remember is that what we find annoying, young children find fascinating. When choosing an “educational” toy for a child, play with it in the store long enough to know if it becomes obnoxious after a few minutes of play. If so, you might consider leaving it in the store. If you find it annoying after a few minutes, your child might, too.
“Test Drive” toys with your child before you buy. Often, the most used toys at home are those that the child had trouble walking away from in a store…even when their parents were not impressed. Children are not upset by repetitive songs or the sound of the sheep bleating as the child pushes the button shaped like a lamb over and over, and over, and over again.
Part of the appeal of a Slinky is the “slinky” sound it makes as the coils wind and unwind. Do you remember the pretend lawn mowers and toys that “popped” as your child pulled them? Children love the sounds these toys make, and will typically ignore it if the sound components are disabled. In the real world, things make noise, so why shouldn’t our baby’s toys?
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