Best Animal Toys For a Fun Playtime In 2023
Playing with toys is a vital part of a child’s overall development. It can contribute to a child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development and several other benefits.
Toys that resemble animals have a special place in a child’s heart. Such toys have existed since the invention of toys, and they derive immense joy for kids when they interact with them. So, before we can list the best animal toys for a fun playtime in 2023, let’s first discuss the fantastic benefits animal toys can provide:
Benefits of Playing With Animal Toys
Open-ended play
Animal toys are as open-ended as they come. This means that children are independent to choose to play however they please. They can play with the toy individually or together with siblings or friends. Plus, children can play with a particular animal toy or combine them with other toys.
Encourage creative thinking and imagination.
Creative thinking and imagination come hand in hand with open-ended play. It can provide many benefits when the kids are encouraged to use their imagination while playing. Often, kids begin to take care of their toy animals in their pretend farm while role-playing or incorporating the animals into the different stories they tell. Inevitably, it is excellent for a child’s imaginative and creative skills.
Support language development
Playing with animal toys is another way to support healthy language development in children. Such toys encourage children to verbalize their ideas, feelings, and experiences. So, while kids are playing with their favorite animal toy, they not only engage in a fun playtime but also learn new words and how to express their thoughts in words. Besides telling stories, animal toys are great for teaching several preschool concepts like the names of the animals, their homes, sounds, foods they like to eat, animal babies, and so much more.
Promotes fine and gross motor skills
Toys that can be carried anywhere and used on various surfaces are an excellent way to promote fine and gross motor skills in children from an early age. From the way the kids grasp the animal toy to how they play with it, everything helps to improve the child’s hand grip and support motor development.
Provide a sensory experience.
The texture of the toys is also a learning experience for kids. By observing and feeling the form and texture of the toy, the kids go through a sensory adventure that further helps in object recognition and cognitive development.
Stimulates compassion and empathy
Pretend-play with animal toys can help kids to develop a nurturing spirit and compassion towards different animals. Usually, children get to learn so much about an animal just by playing with it, which further helps them empathize and grow a humane attitude toward all living beings.
Learning and teaching aid
Combining animals with other learning concepts like number names, alphabets, colors, shapes, etc., is a fantastic teaching tool. Children love playing with animal toys, and when the fun doubles as education, it improves their attention and retention of many academic concepts.
Best Animal Toys That Children Would Love To Play With
Remote Controlled Spider with 8-hour battery life
This remote-controlled tarantula is the perfect toy for kids who either love tarantulas or who may have a slight fear of spiders. Although it may look a little intimidating initially, its realistic movements with an 8-hour battery life are packed to provide hours of fun. The tarantula has a remote control that makes the spider scuttle wherever you want.
Baby Elephant Pillow
The jumbo-sized elephant friend measures around 12 inches (30 centimeters) in height and is a perfect cuddly pillow for your little one. Its felt texture, form, large floppy ears, and long trunk make the baby elephant pillow captivating for young kids. The reviews are raving, and parents confirm that children love to pull, tug, and hug their big, plushy, and cute elephant friend.
Soft and Interactive Peek-a-Boo Teddy Bear Toy
The Peek-a-Boo cuddly bear comes with a warm blanket to comfort your baby. Plus, this plush animal toy recites six phrases while moving his arms up and down to play with your little ones to keep them entertained for hours. It is a soft, cute, and interactive toy that will soon become your child’s favorite.
Farm Puzzle
Magnetic farm puzzle is a great animal toy to add to your child’s toy collection. It will make your child acquainted with the natural world around them, like the different kinds of vegetables we eat every day and several farm animals, without which our life would be impossible. The puzzle has many magnetic pieces, including 11 vegetables, two sheep, a goat, a chicken, a dog, a horse, a cow, and a man to complete the farm setup.
Endangered Animals Easy-to-Manipulate Puzzle Game for Kids
What better way to teach your children about endangered animals than including it through playtime with animal toys? These chunky, easy-to-manipulate puzzle pieces are handcrafted from smooth rubberwood and brightly colored with non-toxic paints. Each piece in this endangered animal toy set raises awareness and connection with the natural world for the kids.
Conclusion
Kids learn many core concepts through play. All it requires is to provide toys that excite the kids and encourage them to explore more. Animal toys are always a safe bet when buying a new toy for kids. They not only make playtime super fun but also support several essential child development factors through play.
