Importance of Nesting Toys For Preschoolers
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When your child learns to stack colored cups or blocks inside each other, she stands to learn important things. She will learn to make comparisons between cups that are big and small. The importance of nesting toys in child development cannot be denied.
Nesting cups come in a host of shapes, sizes and colors. Yes, they are appealing, but they also serve to teach your child important lessons. Not only will she learn to tell that there are different sized cups, she will learn spatial arrangement too. Find out about how nesting toys can help in the early development of your child.
Nesting Toys in Early Child Development
1. Builds Motor Skills
When your child learns to place nesting cups one on top of the other, she will learn intentional grasp and release. She will also learn to position and control her fingers. Encourage your child to grasp the larger nesting cups first and then progress to the smaller pieces. She doesn’t need to use all the pieces initially. At a later stage, she can proceed to make use of the centre posts to pick and move pieces. The pieces with the smaller circumference will require a more controlled grasp, thus developing better motor skills.
2. Improves Spatial Perception
Playing with nesting toys will also improve your child’s depth perception, ensure better hand-eye coordination, and allow her to understand her body. When she starts placing each piece on top of the other, she will be compelled to gauge where each piece should go with regard to the other pieces. It ensures better visual perception at a nascent stage. When your child grows older, she will be able to handle building blocks easily because the foundation will be strong. Handling nesting toys require graded control. Your child will be compelled to apply pressure as she tries to balance pieces on top of one another to ensure they don’t come crashing down.
3. Teaches Balance and Trunk Control
Your child will start to sit up by herself from the age of 6 months. The years that follow will ensure they learn to coordinate their movements. When your child learns to stack nesting toys with her hands while sitting up, it helps stabilise her core. This multi-tasking activity at an early age will allow her body to “catch itself”. She will learn to adjust herself and maintain balance. This is the importance of nesting toys in child development.
4. Develops Problem-Solving Skills
Nesting toys can help your child develop problem-solving skills. She will be forced to learn through trial and error to fit cups inside each other. For your preschooler, it may not be easy to place each cup inside the other. You can offer guidance and ask her to find a solution. Don’t rush her to get it right the first time. Allow her to figure things out on her own. In time, she will learn to fit the correct toy. When she finishes the task on her own, it will build confidence.
Take time to explain nesting cups and how they work to your preschooler. She might not know what to do early on. Find fun and interesting games to play with nesting cups.
