Tips On Picking Toys For Your Kids

When buying a new toy for your child, do you do so with intent or just pick any toys that catch your eye or tickle your kid’s fancy? 

Children of today have access to a vast variety of toys, all shapes, and sizes, colors, and textures, but do you know that soft and squishy toys are the favorite among kids of all ages. For children, a teddy bear is a friend who can listen to them no matter where they go. It can also serve as a means of emotional expression for our child. 

Have you ever wondered why your little one is so calm when they play with their favorite stuffed toys?

Tsholofelo Jood, a psychologist, says that stuffed toys are psychologically important and were termed transitional objects by Dr. Donald Winnicott in 1953, the term transitional object captures how these toys give the child the opportunity to not solely depend on the adult caregiver for comfort and soothing.

She explained how the toy allows the child to explore receiving support outside the bounds of their relationship with the primary caregiver. A child’s sense of security and safety is imbued in this object, and so it becomes more than a mere toy.

Teddy Bears provide comforts in unfamiliar environments. Tsholofelo says young children learn to depend on the stuffed toy when they find themselves in distress, or during times of discomfort.

Fairuz Gaibie, a clinical psychologist,  says when we cuddle anything soft and comforting, like a teddy bear, it releases oxytocin. This is a hormone that leaves us feeling calm and soothed. We’re hardwired to be more drawn toward soft and cuddly things, and this applies to both kids and adults.

Cuddling soft toys encourages children to be nurturing, which would also be the case if they cuddled with baby dolls. The instinct to be gentle and caring is innate in children who are cared for gently, and when they cuddle their teddies, it is often an enacting of this instinct. Many kids will make beds for their soft toys, “feed” them and host pretend tea parties for them.

Babies love to touch and feel new textures, soft toys can provide the perfect mix for developing sensory skills and encouraging social and emotional growth. Even at such a young age, infants begin to grasp the different colors, sizes, and textures of the world around them and soft toys are a perfect way for them to explore new things.

Because pretend play encourages them to interact with other people, soft toys can also help babies to develop their language and communication skills. Pretend play encourages them to talk with other people, laying the groundwork for learning writing and reading in the near future. 

For Older Children, studies have shown that cuddling a soft toy can help soothe anxiety. Touch that mimics human interaction, such as cuddling a teddy bear, could be a helpful addition to treat low self-esteem, depression, and anxiety.

At Olive and Peach, we sell a safe and beautiful collection of unique soft toys for children of all ages.

Do you still have your childhood teddy? What memories can you remember with your first soft toy? We would love to hear your story!