Finding toys that genuinely support your child’s development can be quite tough in such a saturated market where every toy seems to offer the same benefits. However, in this blog, The Early Teacher makes it a little easier for you, explaining exactly why it is important for your child to play with toy trains and the benefits that they gain from it.
So, why is it important for children to play with trains? It is important for your child to play with toy trains because they can help them to develop certain skills such as hand-eye coordination, creativity and problem solving, whilst also being proven to improve their overall mood.
Keep reading to learn more about the benefits of children playing with toy trains as well as which types of toy trains are good for a child’s development.
Page Jumps:
- Why is it Important for Children to Play with Toy Trains?
- What are the Benefits of Playing with Toy Trains?
- Which Types of Toy Trains are Good for a Child’s Development?
Why is it Important for Kids to Play with Toy Trains
As a parent, it is natural for you to be concerned about which toys your child plays with and the benefits that these toys can provide, but are you aware of the reasons why it is important for children to play with toy trains beyond simply being fun? One of the many reasons why you should encourage your child to play with toy trains is because it provides them with a distraction from screen time. This is significant because studies have found that there is enough data to find some correlation between screen time and low mood or reduced cognitive stimulation. Therefore, introducing a toy train set to your child can offer them a new form of entertainment that stimulates them in a positive way.
Another reason why it is important for children to encourage your child to play with toy trains is because it can help them to develop their hand-eye coordination. For example, the Wooden First Train set has different features such as 1 train engine, 2 train carriages as well as free standing trees and people. These small features are important because they are all different shapes and sizes which helps children learn to use their fingers to grip, connect pieces and push them along the train tracks. Hand-eye coordination is a skill that will be utilised at all stages of your child’s development, therefore encouraging it through the use of toy trains is a great way to get them started.
Similarly, we recently wrote a blog that explains why wooden toys are better for your child’s development. At The Early Teacher we stock a variety of wooden train sets so to find out more about why wooden toys are better and more sustainable, click here.
What are the Benefits of Children Playing with Toy Trains?
There is more to playing with toy trains than improving hand-eye coordination. Below we have detailed some of the main benefits of children playing with toy trains so you can see for yourself.
| Problem Solving |
One of the main benefits of playing with
toy trains is that they can improve a child’s problem solving skills. For example, even fitting the track together can be a learning curve for young children because they have to recognise that each piece is a different shape and then figure out how they fit together - like a jigsaw. This act in itself helps children to develop the mindset for problem solving rather than giving up on the task in front of them. This is an important skill for your child to develop because there will be many occasions as they grow up where they are faced with challenges that they need to overcome.
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| Improved Communication |
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| Creativity and Imagination |
The development of creativity and imagination is another significant benefit of encouraging your child to play with toy trains. This is because children are given the opportunity to create their own imaginative worlds, characters and scenarios that allows their imaginations to run wild. This freedom for creativity at a young age is only going to benefit them as they develop because it can be applied to multiple different aspects of their life. For example, creativity within art sessions, during dance classes and even during science projects.
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| Spatial Awareness | Spatial awareness is often a benefit of toy trains that is forgotten about. As your child develops, it is very important that they begin to understand the concept of their size in comparison to items around them. Toy train sets are ideal for developing this skill because often pieces of train track can come apart if a child knocks into them. Spatial awareness is important because it helps them to navigate in busy environments and develop an understanding of how they can damage things if they knock into them. |
How Robotic Trains Can Benefit Children With Autism
There is also evidence to suggest that “robotic trains represent an appealing platform to a wider range of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Additionally, results showed that simple features that can be easily incorporated into trains play a significant role in the interactions and could serve as a reward mechanism”. While we provide wooden train sets, we also provide many different robotic toys that could help children's’ development.
Which Types of Toy Trains are Good for a Child’s Development?
Now that you understand the variety of benefits that toy train sets can provide, you may be wondering which types of toy trains are good for your child’s development. Therefore we have listed some of our recommended types of train toys based on age, below.
Toy Trains for Children Aged 18 + Months:
For children aged 18+ months, we recommend the Wooden Building Block Train due to it being made from larger blocks which makes it safer for younger children. This means that younger children still receive the benefits of hand-eye coordination through handling the large blocks and train set, without being at risk of a choking hazard. This also gives parents peace of mind when their child is playing because they know they are safe.
Toy Trains for Children Aged 2 Years:
For children aged 2 years or above, we would highly recommend the Go on Safari Train/Road Set due to it having lots of additional features such as animals that can keep your child entertained whilst also encouraging them to develop their communication and vocabulary. This train set also encourages children to develop their imagination because they can role play with each animal.
Toy Trains for Children Ages 3 Years:
For children aged 3 years old, we would recommend the Wooden Figure of Eight Train Set because it has so many pieces to keep your child entertained as they develop vital skills such as imagination, hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills. With over 15 different pieces, your child can delve into a world of imagination and problem solving rather than being sat in front of a television or tablet screen.
Toy Trains at The Early Teacher:
At The Early Teacher we understand the importance of finding toys that truly encourage your child’s development, therefore we stock a variety of Toy Trains for you to choose from depending on your child’s age. To find out more about our toy train selection, click here.