Many children will probably be expecting gifts this coming Christmas, and parents, or even relatives, might be wondering what presents to give them.
For younger children, toys might be a more common choice, and scientists even recommend giving them certain toys because they help with children's brain development.
Sarah Gerson, a psychologist from the University of Cardiff in the UK, suggests three different types of toys constructive for children's mental, social, and emotional development.
The first category of toys are the building or constructing types of toys like the cone of stacking doughnuts, building blocks, and LEGOs because they help develop spatial reasoning as well as reading and math skills.
The second category are toys that develop a child's social processing skills which include dolls, figurines, and action figures. Whether they play with these on their own or with others, Gerson says they are great for enhancing storytelling, empathy, consideration for others, and perspective-taking.
Finally, there are crayons, coloring books, and clay which help with hand-eye coordination, color and spatial perception, as well as free play.
Gerson generally avoids recommending electronic toys except for those which can be categorized in one of the three like sequencing or memory games with the use of sound and light. Still, each child is unique and it's best to understand which toys fit the child's preferences and interests best.
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