The relationship between two events in which both occur simultaneously is known as cause and effect. We encounter this in our daily lives when we press a button to summon an elevator, turn on a light or shake a rattle in front of a baby.
When it comes to children, cause and effect isn’t limited to rattles. There is an entire industry of cause and effect toys that allow kids to develop crucial skills like curiosity, attention, listening, and even introduce the basics of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics.
Here, we’ll explore the benefits of cause and effect objects for children and how our smart companion Snorble® fits the bill.
Do cause and effect toys help children’s development?
By learning how certain actions cause particular outcomes, your kiddo will be prepared for the rest of their life. Besides giving children a taste of how the world around them works, these toys help development by:
- Building hand/eye coordination. According to the Association for Psychological Science, a study conducted revealed that children who develop proper hand/eye coordination performed better academically.
- Encouraging curiosity. By wanting to learn about their surroundings at a young age, curious children may learn at a faster rate than their peers.
- Facilitating language development. Speech pathologists Jillian Watson, MS, CCC-SLP, and Lindsay Cagney, MS, CCC-SLP, claim that toys that ask children to make requests (like Snorble) help kids develop their language skills. Snorble gives children prompts to make animal sounds, count, and allows them to learn new words.
- Creating a sense of accomplishment and pride. Every parent has heard this: “Look what I can do!” When kids are proud of their accomplishments, they want to show them off. Cause and effect toys allow them to work out problems and learn new things that they’ll want everyone around them to know about.
- Supporting social skills. Cause and effect toys allow kids to learn valuable social skills such as taking turns, kindness, and sharing and help build the foundation for healthy habits.
- Understanding expectations. When children learn that activities have a beginning, middle, and end they learn to be prepared for the future and are better able to manage their expectations as they get older.
- Forming attention skills. Getting a child to pay attention is key to learning. With cause and effect toys, children are forced to pay attention because the object they’re playing with is interactive, especially if the toy is tech-forward like our smart companion Snorble.
How do cause and effect toys relate to STEM/STEAM?
Cause and effect is a concept found throughout STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics) because:
- Science aims to find explanations
- Technology seeks to fill a need to better our lives
- Engineering seeks to reach solutions
- Art’s purpose is to create wonderment and start a conversation through different means and media
- Mathematics is built on the foundation of problem-solving
When your child plays with a cause and effect toy even if it’s as basic as a Slinky, they are learning about the world around them. When the Slinky is pushed down a flight of stairs, besides watching in awe as it moves, your kiddo is learning about physics and gravity, although they might not realize it.
Snorble’s STEM is full of STEAM
When it comes to cause and effect toys, Snorble is a smart companion that incorporates the elements of STEM/STEAM to provide an immersive experience for kids of all ages. Our system is designed to grow with your child and lay the foundation for healthy habits, social-emotional development, and educational advancement. Additionally, our little buddy can help your kiddo get a good night’s sleep with a customizable Bedtime Routine that features positive sleep hygiene like teeth brushing, storytime, and wind-down activities like mindfulness and reflection.
Sources:
- https://www.toy-ideas.com/child-development/2019/1/7/6-examples-of-toys-that-teach-cause-and-effect#:~:text=Cause%20and%20effect%20toys%20teach,%2C%20attention%2C%20and%20intentional%20play.
- https://cissnewsletter.ca/2021/01/11/from-the-ciss-equipment-library-the-benefits-of-cause-and-effect-toys/#:~:text=Cause%20and%20effect%20toys%20are%20a%20great%20concrete%20tool%20to,child%20in%20a%20functional%20activity.
- https://hobbiesandplay.com/benefits-of-cause-and-effect-toys/
- https://www.toyventive.com/blogs/play-learn-blog/cause-effect-toys
- https://manoa.hawaii.edu/exploringourfluidearth/standards-alignment/next-generation-science-standards-ngss/crosscutting-concepts/cause-and-effect
- https://www.southshorehealth.org/wellness/blog/using-games-and-toys-help-your-childs-language-development
Photo by Jerry Wang on Unsplash
