LANSING, Mich (WLNS) —
By: Jorma Duran
Posted: Feb 26, 2019 07:52 AM EST

This report is focused on toddler development and how to make sure your child is reaching certain developmental milestones. A great way to help is to provide toys and activities that’ll help increase your toddler’s developmental skills.

Kendra Moyses, a child development expert with Michigan State University says, allowing young kids to engage with toys that help foster imagination and teach basic skills are rarely the top selling toys on the market. Moyses says, whenever parents are looking for toys, games and activities for toddlers, it’s very important to focus on items that will enhance overall skill levels in areas that help with motor, language, social and emotional development.

“Even a simple shape sorter works because they are not only working on math skills to help fit things together like a puzzle, they are also working on their fine motor skills. They are learning how to grasp, they are learning how to do hand-eye coordination at the same time.”

Two Toddlers are playing a game with numbers and shapes.Here is the top ten list of must-have toys:

  • Shape sorter
  • Puzzles
  • Blocks
  • Bubbles
  • Picture books
  • Costumes
  • Hula Hoop
  • Cheerios
  • Triangle-shaped Crayons
  • Puppets

Moyses says, all kids develop at their own pace, but these toys/tools will help foster the most important skills toddlers need to grow.

Courtesy of WLNS 6:
It’s Parenting Connection Tuesday — a time when 6 News shares tips, strategies, and helpful reminders from local child development experts on how we can be better parents.