Educational Toys & Books for 6 Year Olds

At 6 years of age, children are becoming more independent and partaking in “big kid” activities. Children aged 6 tend to show increased levels of attention, develop greater emotional awareness and find more meaning in sports. They find a sense of security in rules and group play. Though each child will inevitably develop in line with their own developmental journey, typical milestones and supporting resources are outlined below.

EDUCATIONAL TOYS FOR 6 YEAR OLDS FOR COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT

Milestones: For many 6 year olds, attention-spans become longer and children are able to focus on more complex activities both at school and at home. Their thought complexity expands, as 6 year olds begin to experience more interest in the world that surrounds them. Morality is also an important topic; with an increasing awareness of wrong or right. Children at 6 years of age enjoy developing their independent reading skills and can enthusiastically recall plots of the books they read. They may also enjoy writing more, especially stories about themselves, alongside an improved awareness of grammar and punctuation. In Maths, children may be able to draw more complex shapes and be able to tell the time. Resources: Engaging resources such as Wipe-Clean Clock Sets and No-Nonsense Number Facts can help develop your child’s Mathematical skills, whilst children who love creative writing may find How to Write a Great Story to be a helpful book. With their expanding interest in the world around them, informative educational toys for 6 year olds, such as BrainBox The World and Flags of The World puzzle, are fantastic resources.  To improve grammar and punctuation, why not try an engaging workbook for KS1 children. For children who enjoy getting lost in the world of a book, capture their interest with classics like Around the Word in Eighty Days and Treasure Island.

EDUCATIONAL TOYS FOR 6 YEAR OLDS FOR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Milestones: With emotional development, 6 year old children have a deepened understanding of their own and others’ emotions. For example, they can understand why it is important not to say something negative about someone to the person directly so as to avoid hurting their feelings. Additionally, from this increased understanding of feelings, 6 years olds demonstrate the ability to maintain better emotional stability. Socially, children at 6 years of age can engage in more complex relationships with peers and adults around them. They also gain a level of comfort and security from such relationships. At age 6, friendship is important – children will enjoy sharing toys with their friends, though they may struggle to resolve conflict without adult intervention, as their social skills are still developing. Children at this age enjoy participating in real activities over imaginary ones. Resources: As your child’s understanding of emotions increases, resources such as puppets and books on dealing with feelings like shy, jealous, happy, angry, sad or worried are fabulous educational toys for 6 year olds that can assist in nurturing their awareness of emotions. Real tools such as a gardening kit may help your child’s sense of maturity.

EDUCATIONAL TOYS FOR 6 YEAR OLDS FOR PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Milestones: Growth rates and physical skills for children aged 6 will vary. Whilst some may demonstrate a natural ability for sport, others may work on developing their throwing and catching skills. Locomotor skills – such as running, skipping and jumping – are improving alongside better hand-eye coordination. Fortunately, children have lots of energy at 6 years of age that they need to burn off, so time spent outside of the classroom is an excellent opportunity to improve their physical skills. This is increasingly true of competitive sports, as 6 year olds develop a further appreciation of rules, which makes sports more meaningful. Fine motor skills are also improving, so children aged 6 may find it easier to use scissors, tie their shoelaces, and draw letters more accurately. Resources: To improve fine motor skills, children can practice their letter formation with fantastic educational toys for 6 year olds such as English Alphabet Cards or improve being able to tie their shoelaces with a pretend shoe. Children may also enjoy using skipping ropes or playing catch with some interesting sensory balls to develop their hand-eye coordination. As you children is nearly 7-years-old, it is worth exploring toys for this age too.