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Introduction | ||
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Childhood games and toys | ||
| EDUCATORS AND TOYS In the early childhood education center, the use of toys as a didactic mean or as an object of information has to be based on the possibilities that toys can offer, and how to use them to reach the objectives that the educator wants to achieve in her pedagogical activities. To talk about didactic toys is almost a tautology, because any toy, designed or not with teaching purposes, constitutes in itself a means of knowledge of the world and an object that brings about that knowledge. Therefore, the only thing that differentiates a didactic toy from another one without that purpose is that the first one is directed and guided consciously to the attainment of educational and concrete objectives, facilitating the play activity of children in an organized, systematic and planned way, and towards a specific object. Therefore, any area of development can have didactic toys, and they all can promote any intelligence. Educators must take into account certain considerations about the use of toys in the center:
Toys, as any other object of the human culture, do not directly reflect their function, but requires progressive learning that generally takes place thanks to the combined activity of children and adults. In this sense, a toy doesn't teach to play, although its end is very evident. The educator is, with her patience and infinite understanding the one who puts in contact the children with the world of the toys, and teaches them the actions that are appropriate for them. All educators must know the objectives and methodology of each toy, to lead the children in the process of understanding its meaning in a more effective way. Children must have possibilities to contact independently with the toys, and to try to "discover" their functions, but the educator must be ready to offer any help that could be required if children don't know, or they are not able to learn these functions on their own. Children must play with all kinds of toys in order to facilitate the stimulation of their intelligence.
The children must learn how to share toys, so the educator must apply his best orientation skills when a child wants to have the toys only for him/her. A good measure is to stimulate the children to play in a combined way with the same toy, or to enjoy it for a while and then lend it to their mates.
The same toy will transform its use as the different evolutionary stages go by, reason why the educators must enlarge its use at the same time that changes take place in the children. For that reason, toys must be put away or exchanged with other age groups, and this way we can influence different processes and psychological features. The educator must guide and make the children see the possibilities that any toy can have, and not only show them their evident function. Educators must create handmade toys, using all the possible techniques and all kinds of recyclable materials, even when there are possibilities to buy them. The children should participate in the elaboration of these toys. We could give educators many other ideas about the use of toys; only some of the most important ones have been pointed out. But this subject doesn’t concern educators only, but also parents. It is a good idea to prepare some recommendations for them.
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