Today’s world has made it less of a hustle to entertain children. The moment a child says he/she is bored; they are given the mobile phone to play with. The thought of a child constantly whining with no clarity to whether they will stop, they are given the easy way out just so they can keep quiet. When it comes to teenagers and young adults, they would rather be on social media and like what their friends have posted as they take selfies to also update their status. The act of providing an immediate solution to the said boredom only decreases a child’s ability to quickly adapt and become a good citizen to a fast-paced 21^st century.

Parents, guardians, and teachers may be oblivious of the current state their children or students are growing up but when they look back and realize when they were small playing outside was highly encouraged. Washing powder brands may input dirt is good in their marketing but does it really showcase today’s child.

Well, all is not lost as schools and even the government through a change in the curriculum sees a gap to encourage play among children. Play is fundamental in that not only does it enhance critical thinking but it also boosts the self-esteem of a child. Play ensures that a child must interact with other children thus building qualities such as leadership or listening skills that will be important as they continue to grow.

It is important to note that children are very curious and easily get uninterested. However, when we pay attention to their needs and wellbeing we can easily find ways to nature the curiosity in them thus build interest in what they are curious about. One way we can capture a child’s imaginations and attention is by incorporating fun in learning. This includes building on art skills whether drawing, coloring or even molding. We can also encourage children to craft their own ideas using simple easy to find objects such as used plastic bottles, newspapers, or containers.

Another fun and 21^st century way to encourage children to play is by using educational or Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) toys. There is a strong link between play and children’s academic performance and cognitive development. When we provide children with experiences that easily connects them to STEM-related disciplines from a young age, it goes a long way in facilitating profound learning. STEM toys transform the classroom into a place where hands-on learning, real-world application, creative thinking, problem-solving, logic, and collaboration thrive. Young children need lots of real-life experiences to build these skills. STEM toys are able to build on concepts such as how do vehicles move thus providing a simple basis to mechanics in a not so complex way in the end building their curiosity on such a topic. Educational Toys in motor skills are good for teaching children to control muscle development and hand-to-eye coordination.

In today’s world, there is enthusiasm and anticipation to raise innovators for a rapidly changing future. The development of STEM toys encourages open-ended play and problem-solving for today’s children.

Why STEM toys

• STEM toys are open-ended, adaptive, flexible, provocative, and, most importantly, fun.
• Children have more fun with toys that help them learn (children play with toys they are acting a lot like scientists doing experiments)
• STEM toys are open-ended: A simple set of building blocks or a robot can be disassembled, reassembled, and interacted within a variety of ways. There is no single solution and may require the children to collaborate. These qualities encourage children to be creative, explore, and have a deeper understanding of rules, patterns, logic, and how things work.
• Educational toys are logic-based, multi-solution, and require planning moves in advance
• Where children play on their own with limited adult intervention, this allows them to develop the freedom to test their limits, discover new things, figure out how to interact with others, fail and bounce back, and solve problems.

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