Many parents are ready to buy new toys for their child almost every day. It would seem, what is so terrible about this, if the family budget allows. However, some mothers and fathers who literally overwhelm their kids with all kinds of dolls, cars, constructors, plush animals and heroes of their favorite children's cartoons, then wonder why the child does not take care of the toys, breaks them or easily gives them to other children in the kindergarten. How many toys does a child need and how does their number affect his development?

Toys and child development

Some parents believe that a large number of toys will help the child faster. Actually it is not. Children's perception is arranged in such a way that in order to maintain attention, no more than five objects should be in the child's visibility zone at the same time. When there are more objects around the baby, it becomes difficult for him to focus on one of them, which means that attention is not concentrated, but, on the contrary, is scattered.

The number of toys also affects such a quality as ingenuity. Curiosity and resourcefulness develop in children when they need to invent and create toys on their own. Remember how, for example, we played with buttons in childhood, imagining them as people, or dandelions strung on ordinary sticks. Corn cobs, chips, pens - everything came to life in our children's hands and overgrown with stories. Unfortunately, modern toys for the most part are not designed for the development of creative thinking and, interacting with them, the child does not receive new knowledge, which means that the potential of the researcher in him is slowly decreasing.

Too many toys also weaken children's cravings for other activities. When there are few toys, and the child has already played enough with them, he begins to be interested in reading, writing, art, that is, he is looking for other things to do for himself. When there are too many toys, he will fiddle with them all day long, and he will be bored with books, music, drawing and other types of creativity. If a child’s room is littered with toys, it becomes uninteresting for him to leave it, while children who cannot boast of such “riches” go for walks with great pleasure and prefer playing on fresh air.

The development of such an important skill as perseverance also depends on the number of toys around the baby. When a child comes across a complex “thing” (a puzzle, a designer, a prefabricated model, logic game), he will patiently and persistently deal with her. When there are many more around the baby simple toys, over which you do not need to think, he will quickly give up trying to figure it out on his own with a complex one and start playing something else. This will lead to the fact that the child will never learn to complete complex cases.

Toys and character

The number of toys also affects the character of the child. Children who get everything on demand begin to believe that this will always be the case, and grow up selfish.

The number of toys also affects the formation of a child's concept of eternal values. Children spoiled by parents huge amount toys, most often grow up confident that any desires and pleasures can be bought for money. Such kids turn into adults who cannot find satisfaction from life, while unspoiled children learn to appreciate intangible things and understand that only friendship, family, love bring true pleasure and joy.

In addition, children who have a lot of toys stop appreciating each of them, because they know that if another doll or car breaks down or gets lost, their parents will immediately buy a new one to replace it. Such kids do not take care of their toys, and they carry a similar attitude towards their own things through their whole lives. Now a five-year-old kid does not worry that he lost one of them in kindergarten, and in a few years he will forget somewhere an expensive smartphone bought by his parents and just ask them for another one. Then he will break cars, it is easy to spend money on nonsense. It is possible that he will also treat people the same way, believing that if it was not possible to establish relations with one friend, then another will come to replace him.

Children, who are not spoiled with toys, are very careful about their choice. While a spoiled kid will sweep all the toys off the shelves indiscriminately in the store, a child who receives a new doll or car only on holidays will take a long time to choose the right one, thus learning to analyze. He will spend half an hour near the window, carefully examining the toys, evaluating their intellectual value, appearance, material, and make an informed choice in favor of one of them.

When a child gets a lot of toys, it becomes very difficult for adults to surprise him with something. And really: what is possible or a holiday for a child who already has everything? Therefore, it is natural that instead of sincere joy, mom and dad will see only an indifferent expression on the face of their child, unfolding another gift. And the holiday thus ceases to be a special event for the child, while children who rarely receive gifts will look forward to this day. Subsequently, such a child may grow up as a cold, indifferent to everything, bored person who will be difficult to surprise or delight with something.

Psychologists say that the fewer toys a child has, the more interesting it is for him to communicate with other children.

So, how many toys does a child need? It is impossible to answer this question with mathematical accuracy, however, each toy should be necessary, and its purchase should be planned: if the baby dreams of an expensive railway, then give it to him for his birthday, if the girl already has eight dolls, then you should not buy her the ninth. Well, or you can buy it as a gift for the holiday.

There are three tips that will help parents "secure" themselves from buying extra toys:

Do not buy cars and dolls casually, passing by in a supermarket or newsstand.

Do not give your child toys "for growth": if he is not interested in designers, then you should not litter the room with them.

Never follow a child's lead, even if he stamps his feet and throws a tantrum in a children's store. In any situation, your "no" should sound firm and confident.

And, of course, do not forget that a happy childhood is measured by the attention of parents, and not by the number of cars and baby dolls in the children's room. Spend as much time as possible with your child, play role-playing games with him, invent your own exciting stories, turning the carpet in the hallway into a wild forest, and then your baby will be happy!

Victoria Kotlyarova

You don't want to buy knick-knacks for a child. Or vice versa, you feel guilty before him that you are ready to buy a completely unnecessary thing in the store ... Check whether it is easy for you to go shopping with your child by passing the test on the portal I am a parent.

Children's toys appear in the house sometimes even before the baby is born. Teddy bears and bunnies, dolls and bright cars surround the crumbs from the first days of life. Sometimes parents and grandparents themselves cannot explain intelligibly why they buy another car or a set of cubes. Psychologists explain that behind the "flooding" of the baby with toys is the lack of beautiful toys in the childhood of adults, as well as the desire to express love to their offspring in this way.

But does a baby need so many toys? And what toys will really please the baby and benefit?

After some time, adults are disappointed to notice that most of their gifts are gathering dust on the shelves. Having unscrewed the wheels, tearing off the bear's paw or tearing off the details, the child loses interest in the toy chosen with love. But at the same time, he enthusiastically plays with pot lids or clothespins.

What toys does a child need?

1. Toys are friends

Very often, babies at 2-3 years old become attached to one single toy on long term. They sleep with her, walk and sit at the table to eat. There is nothing wrong with that, the baby should have a silent protective friend at the age of 2-5 years, while he does not have real friends yet. It could be soft toy or toy - favorite cartoon character. Often this role is played by paw patrol toys. Toys friends can change, as a rule, such a “friendship” lasts up to six months, and then the crumbs have a new favorite.

2. Role play toys

Child psychologists note that role-playing games are very important for little ones. In them, they "work out" their future roles - mom, dad, doctor, educator, and so on. For the game, of course, you need attributes - doll dishes, sets of a doctor and a hairdresser, and so on. But if a child wants to play, for example, in a store, and there are not enough paraphernalia for this, do not rush to the store to buy a set for this game. Teach your child to use substitute items. For example, cut colored paper and write numbers on it - let it be money. Blind fruits from plasticine, give empty jars or plastic bottles as a commodity. The use of substitute items in the game develops Creative skills the child is much better than ready-made purchased toys.

3. Interactive toys

Talking, squeaking, singing and blinking little animals are very popular today. Your kid will definitely want to have one. But do not keep too many of these "button" toys in the nursery. Child psychologists say that when there are too many of them, the child stops playing role-playing games, fantasizes less. For a girl, you can buy a cute beautiful pink pony. Boys will like a more masculine character.

4. Educational toys

Do not confuse educational toys with interactive ones, even if they teach the baby to count, name letters, and so on. The good old dominoes, cubes, constructors, pyramids and nesting dolls are much more useful for mental development.

5. Sports toys

A child, starting from 1 year old, should have several balls different sizes With age, sports equipment needs to be expanded - scooters, bicycles, jump ropes ... Or even better, a sports complex in the nursery.

How many toys should a child have?

Child psychologists recommend no more than 10 toys up to 3 years of age, and up to 15 to 7 years. With a larger number, the child simply will not play with them, constantly switching attention from one bright toy to another. So if you have been given a bunch of toys, keep them away from children's eyes. And change them once a month. If you see that the child does not look like a set of cubes for several days, remove it and offer another constructor instead. Swap them after a month. Thus, you keep the toys intact, and the baby will be happy. new game more often.

Usually, when going to a big toy store, parents want to buy everything! After all, all the toys are so bright, interesting and necessary in the game. However, don't rush:

An overabundance of toys is much worse than not enough!

Of course, every parent wants their child to have no need for anything. But think, the missing toy can always be replaced. Most children enjoy playing with all sorts of bottles, jars, buttons and other items that can be found in every home than with their toy versions. So it is not necessary to strive to buy a toy for any occasion of life.

But exactly how many toys should a child have so that he develops properly and does not feel deprived?

How many toys does a child need

• There shouldn't be too many toys.

If you notice that most of the purchased or donated toys are gathering dust in boxes or on shelves, and the baby always plays with a certain set, then you have an overabundance of toys. Try to remove some of the toys, leaving only the most beloved ones in sight. This simple technique will greatly simplify both you and your child's life: fewer toys and much faster and easier! In addition, after a while, you can replace the current set with other toys if you notice that these kids are bored.

• Each type of toys should be no more than 1-2 pieces.

Undoubtedly, there are different ones, but some are suitable for a 2-year-old baby, and with some the child will play only at the age of 5-6 years. Remember: there is a time for everything! Do not buy multiple sets at the same time.

If we talk about a specific number, child psychologists agree that there should be no more than 15 active toys (which a child can play during the day, that is, those that are in his field of vision).

How to control the number of toys

1. Divide toys into sets. Walking toys, bath toys, garden toys, home toys. So the child in different places will play with different toys, and they will not have time to get bored of him.
2. Keep track of available toys appropriate for the child's age. The kid should be interested in playing, and at the same time, toys should not be ahead of the needs of the child. Every age has its own toy.
3. Ask friends and relatives stop giving your baby toys for no reason. If every time guests come to you, guests bring a new toy to the child, explain the situation with a large number of toys at home and ask them to bring fruit, felt-tip pens, pencils, books, coloring books as a gift (if they are embarrassed to come empty-handed).
4. Always be conscious when choosing a new toy. The child must really need it. Therefore, you should not buy toys in between times when you go to the store, or in order to prevent tears and scandal in a public place. So you only spoil your reputation, grow a blackmailer, and toys will not be useful.
5. Buying toys as an apology for your absence, as proof of parental love, is not best idea. Learn to express love and care in other ways: playing together, going to the cinema, sitting with books.

We hope you understand that children absolutely do not need to have too many toys. Remember that the lack of toys stimulates the child's imagination! In addition, children who do not have many toys tend to be more thrifty and appreciate what they have.

Children are not so afraid of a lack of toys as an overabundance of them.

Psychologists advise parents to buy new toys no more than once every ten days. And let the boys play with dolls, and the girls to ride cars

About how many toys a child needs to grow up as a harmonious personality, "Comments" learned from child psychologist Vlady Tarasenko.

What is the role of toys in a child's life?

Children's toys have two main functions - to develop and bring pleasure. Indeed, during the game, the child simultaneously has fun and acquires new skills. The main thing is that after buying another toy, mom or dad should interest the baby: show the child how to play with it, and then make sure that the baby can repeat the same movements on his own. Otherwise, the dolls or games will remain untouched in the box. In addition, the toy must be chosen together with the child so that he feels that his opinion is being listened to.

What toys should a baby have in the first months of life?

From birth to 6 months of age, the child actively develops physical sensations, vision and hearing, so during this period he needs bright toys that make different sounds, have different structures and shapes. It is at this age that children are very fond of soft toys: they touch them, stroke them, so you should not deny your child a soft friend. But it is necessary to allow him to play with a soft hare or a bear under the supervision of the elders.

After the baby is 6 months old, do toys need to be changed?

Of course, after all, from 6 to 12 months, the child actively develops hearing. So at this age, various squeakers, rattles, "rattles", cars that make sounds, talking dolls will be required. In a word, everything that can be played “loudly”. Children who were not forbidden by their parents to rattle and bang will not be afraid of loud sounds in the future. But when the baby is eight or nine months old, toys will not be so important. During this period, the child begins to “copy” his parents, so he wants to play with dishes, doing everything like his mother, or with his father’s tools, imitating his father. Parents make a huge mistake when they forbid a child to play with household utensils, because in the future this may result in a dislike for cleaning, washing dishes or "male" work. If a child wants to sweep, wash dishes, or hammer nails, they should be allowed to do this, even if he doesn’t quite succeed.

What toys will a one year old baby need?

When a child begins to take his first steps, it is necessary to interest and help him in this, for example, with the help of a toy. At this age, you will need toys that you can drag on a string or roll in front of you. For example, the baby will watch with interest the actions of toy dogs, which alternately protrude from the wheelchair toy as it moves. It will be interesting for a baby to carry a horse or a car with him. Moreover, cars on which the baby can ride, pushing off the floor with their feet, are worth buying not only for boys, but also for girls.

Often parents buy a toy for a child, but he does not show interest in it. Should I be worried in this case?

You should not worry about this, because such a position of the baby means that the child’s character begins to “stand out”. Most often this happens by the age of two: some babies develop constructive intelligence, while others develop verbal intelligence. So, if a child does not sit all day long at constructors or puzzles, this does not mean at all that he does not develop. Surely he develops verbal intelligence: he talks a lot, loves to listen to fairy tales or sing. In this case, you should not force the child to do what he does not like.

There are children who are ready to "fight in hysterics" for the sake of a new toy. Should you please your child?

You need to buy a new toy for your child no more than once every 7-10 days. Moreover, the child must choose toys himself, so it is better to take him to the store with you. But at the same time, it should be agreed at home in advance that it is possible to buy one large or two small toys. To make it seem more new toys, you can make two sets of 20-25 toys and change sets after two weeks. Thus, toys will not have time to get bored with the child, and the family budget will not suffer. If the child “throws a tantrum”, then you can buy a toy only if he really needs a specific toy for development, and not a fifth plush hare.

The lack of toys is not as terrible as their overabundance, because when a toy is not enough to play, it stimulates the imagination, the child replaces the toys with improvised items (rags, boxes, strings, bags). Children with a lack of toys even begin to compose fairy tales.

It often seems to mothers that if a son plays “war”, he will grow up aggressive and prone to violence. Is it really so?

There are parents who try not to buy “military toys” for their child. And at the same time they make a big mistake, because in every person from birth there is hidden internal aggression, which must have a way out. In a child, such aggression should come out through the game with the help of "military toys" (weapons, tanks, soldiers or computer games). Such an "exit" of aggression makes the child real life more calm and balanced. So it is desirable that the baby has a couple of “shooters” for defusing. By the way, the absence of toy weapons does not mean that the child will not play "war" - instead of a machine gun or a pistol, he will "shoot" from a stick or index finger.

If a child starts collecting some kind of toys, how should parents react?

If a child is seriously interested in collecting soldiers or toy cars, it would be unforgivable cruelty to refuse him a new toy just for fear of exceeding the “useful” number. After all, the child enjoys replenishing his collection, from the appearance of a new toy in it. If you do not help the baby in his endeavors, the child may develop aggression against his parents, scandals and tantrums will become more frequent. There are frequent cases when adulthood a person who was forbidden to collect cars as a child changes real cars like gloves. So, when you go to the store with your child to buy new toys, give him a choice: either we buy a toy for the collection or any other, but only one. And here we must agree with the desire of the child, whatever it may be. But it is worth remembering: the “passion” for collecting lasts about one year.

Is it worth worrying if boys show interest in dolls, and girls in cars?

Parents often think that boys and girls need different toys. But after all, feeding, putting to bed or bathing dolls is interesting and useful not only for girls. In essence, through such a game, the child reproduces the daily activities of his parents. You should not limit the boy's interests only to cars, because he is a future dad (and possibly a brother), and sometimes it is useful for him to play with dolls. If, however, we follow the cliches and divide children by gender, then there is a high probability that the boys will grow up emotionally cold and will not take care of their family.

Is it possible to replace live games with virtual ones?

Personally, I am in favor of good computer games for children 4-5 years old. This is a kind of role-playing game where the kid can get ready for the ball, cook food, put the virtual dolls to bed. But you should combine computer games with games in the garden, in the yard. If the child tries to sit at the computer all day, he should be limited to about two hours of play. The benefit of virtual games is that children start to read early, learn something new for themselves.

Is there a certain number of toys that a baby needs for a certain period of its development?

It is impossible to unequivocally answer the question: how many toys a child needs - 10, 20, 100 or 200. In addition to cars, bunnies, dolls and other things, the child should have toys for swimming, walking, relaxing in the country, playing on the water and in the sand. Toys for outdoor games are especially important. Girls are fond of playing with jump ropes, rubber bands, balls. Boys love to ride bicycles and scooters, rollers. In addition, every child, regardless of gender, should have kits for role playing"Young Doctor", "Young Technician", "Young Chef". The main thing is that the toys are different, awaken the imagination, develop abilities, encourage the game and please the child himself. In addition, no matter how many toys a child has, and no matter how diverse they are, the task of parents is to teach the child to play and develop their own intelligence through the game.

Attentive parents also monitor the number of toys in the child's room. At a time when our children's rooms are literally filled to the ceiling with toys, thinking parents are trying to reduce the number of toys that children play with.
Have you noticed that a child's attention and ability to play with toys directly depends on their number? For a child to really play with them, and for these games to bring him joy and benefit, parents must understand that a small number of toys for a child is much better, and that it will have a positive impact on his future.

1. Children will be more creative

Too many toys hinder the child's creative development. Children do not need to invent, invent when there is a mountain of toys next to them. In Germany, the following experiment was carried out in kindergartens - in groups, all toys were removed for 3 months. At first, the children were very bored and did not know what to do with themselves. However, after some time, the children began to communicate more with each other and literally invent, using handy and surrounding objects for their games. The husband of one of my friends lived in the North as a child. There were no toys at all. The only thing that the child had in large quantities was matchboxes. For several years, the child played only with them, creating models and inventing stories. As a result, he is not only successful in his professional life, he also writes beautiful music and plans to release his album.

2. Children develop the ability to concentrate

In order to maintain attention, there should be no more than 5 objects in the child's field of vision. Surrounding himself with a large number of bright, varied toys, attention is scattered and, moreover, the child does not learn to concentrate, which is very important for his future life. Having a lot of toys, children stop appreciating them. And each new toy less and less valuable for the child, and after playing it for a day or two, the child begins to ask for a new one in order to experience the joy of ownership again new thing. Toy manufacturers feed this desire in children by molding them into consumers. Only parents can influence this process by realizing the importance of toys and their quantity for the unborn child.

3. Child's social skills develop

Children with fewer toys are much better able to bond with other children and adults. First of all, because they learn real communication. Research has shown that children who are able to form friendships in childhood become much more successful in their adult lives.

4. Children become more caring about the things they use.

A child who has a large number of toys ceases to appreciate them. He is sure that if one breaks, a new one will take its place. This has a significant educational character of the toy, which forms the attitude towards the world. A child must be taught to take care of his toys and things, so that when he grows up, he does not transfer this consumer attitude to real human relationships.

5. Children develop a love of reading, writing and art

There are cases when families did not have toys or televisions. Reading and creative personalities grew up in such families. Fewer toys make children look for other interesting activities for themselves. Very often they are books and creativity. Children who love books grow up erudite and imaginative. Art introduces children to the world of beauty, to the world of real emotions and feelings, making them more balanced and creative.

6. Children become more creative

Inventiveness, the ability to be resourceful, develops if the child does not have ready-made answers to the questions that confront him. Rare toy today meets these requirements. Mechanical toys do not contribute to the development of creative thinking. The opportunity to develop the potential of a researcher in a child is entirely in the hands of parents.

7. Children argue less and negotiate more

This may seem counterintuitive. Indeed, for many parents it is obvious that the more toys children have, the less they argue and swear with their brothers and sisters. However, this is often not the case. Each new toy contributes to the isolation of the child from brothers and sisters, the creation of his own "territory". Large quantity toys are more controversial, while fewer toys encourage children to negotiate, share, and play together.

8. Children learn to be assertive.

When a child has a large number of toys at hand, he gives up much faster. If the toy causes any difficulty, he will abandon it in favor of another, simpler toy, which lies next to him. Or, in such situations, children are more likely to turn to their parents for help instead of reaching a decision on their own. When there are few toys, the child will try to deal with the toy himself, thereby he will learn perseverance, patience and the skills to bring the matter to the end on his own.

9. Children become less selfish

Kids who get everything on demand believe they can get whatever they want. Such thinking very quickly leads to an unhealthy lifestyle.

10. Children become healthier

The consumption of things often turns into uncontrolled consumption of food, thereby developing the habit of eating improperly. Restraint in toys brings up the restraint of the child in other areas of his life. In addition, children who do not have a room littered with toys often prefer to play outdoors, with great pleasure getting involved in active games in nature.

11. Children learn to find fulfillment outside of the toy store.

True joy and contentment will never be found on the shelves of a toy store. Children who grew up in a family with the idea that all desires and pleasures can be bought with money will turn into adults who cannot find satisfaction in life. On the contrary, children should grow up with the conviction that true pleasure and joy are in relationships with people, in what is of eternal value - friendship, love, family.

12. Children will live in a cleaner and tidy home.

Parents know that toys never live only in the child's room, they fill the whole apartment. It is logical to assume that fewer toys will contribute to the fact that the house will be orderly and clean.

13. The child will not have "useless" toys.

Toys are not just for playing with. Psychologists say that the toy has a special role in shaping the personality and the unborn child. It helps him to understand the world in which he lives, to form an opinion about himself and the people around him. The toy is capable of shaping or significantly influencing the values ​​of the child and thus determine to some extent his future. Therefore, wise parents pay attention to what toys their children play with, carefully choosing a toy while in a children's store, paying attention to age, appearance, materials, practical and intellectual value of the toy. Let's be honest: not all toys have such value. But the less often parents buy toys, the more attention they pay to this aspect.

14. The child will learn to enjoy gifts again.

What to give a child who has everything? - one of the most common questions on parenting forums. Indeed, most children simply have nothing to surprise them with. They are no longer happy with gifts as they were in our childhood and the childhood of our mothers and grandmothers, when toys were given only on holidays. If you buy toys the same way you buy bread and milk, it ceases to be an event. And playing such a toy ceases to be an event too. Buying fewer toys, you will return the child the opportunity to enjoy gifts for real.

“The main thing is to develop in the child his limitless potentialities, so that there is more joy in his life and in the world.” Masaru Ibuka, It's Too Late After Three.

I'm not against toys. But I am for the opportunities that life gives the child - to be creative, inventive, resourceful, purposeful and persistent. Only such children grow up into adults capable of changing lives for the better. Therefore, go into the child's room today and unnoticed by him remove most of the toys. I assure you, you won't regret it.

Advice:

If your child has a lot of toys, use this simple advice Psychologists: Pay attention to the toys that the child is playing right now. Leave these toys in the field of view of the child. Hide the rest. From time to time, seeing that the child is losing interest in those toys that he plays with, remove the boring toys and offer him others from the “hiding place”. So you weed out what the child does not need at all, what was bought in vain and only takes up space in the nursery. You can get rid of these toys, for example, by taking them to kindergarten.