Many eye care specialists recommend using toys and games to stimulate a child’s vision development. In this post, Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry, a trusted expert in eye exam services, shares more information on how playtime can sharpen your child’s vision skills. We also list a few toys and games to help you during playtime.
How Can Playtime Develop Your Child’s Vision?
As a newborn, your child could only see a blurry of light and dark. But as they grow bigger and learn how to see better, their vision progresses and allows them to handle more complex visual tasks. During the different phases in their childhood, toys, games, and playtime activities can help stimulate their vision development.
Of course, you should also make sure to bring your child to an optometrist as early as six months old. This way, they can have comprehensive eye care starting from a young age. With the help of an eye doctor, you can identify vision skill areas that need attention and be able to identify vision problems in their early stages.
What Kinds of Toys Should You Buy?
Here’s a simple guide on what toys you could buy for your child at every stage of their development:
- 0-5 months – Use toys like crib mobiles and gyms, rattles, and squeak toys. For games, peek-a-boo and patty-cake are great.
- 6-8 months – Introduce your child to stuffed animals and floating bath toys. Try hide-and-seek with toys, and read to your child every day.
- 9-12 months – Let your child play with take-apart toys, stacking or nesting toys, blocks, snap-lock beads, and sturdy cardboard books. Continue reading to your child, and play with them by rolling a ball back and forth.
- 1 year old – Use bright balls and blocks to play with them. You can also get them a rocking horse or riding toys that can be pushed with the feet. Continue reading to your child, and try throwing a ball with them.
- 2 years old – Let your child experiment with crayons and markers, and introduce them to toys that allow them to sort shapes and sizes. Read to your child, and introduce them to catch and outdoor play.
- 3-6 years old – Puzzles, pegboards, finger paint, modeling clay, simple sewing cards, and building toys are good choices for children with this age. Some activities you can have them do are running, climbing, and using a balance beam and playground equipment.
- 7 years old and older – This is a great age for your child to try active sports, cycling, jump ropes, roller skates, target games, remote-controlled toys, and more sophisticated building toys.
Northern Virginia Doctors of Optometry has been in business for over 40 years. We provide contact lenses, eyeglasses, and a variety of personalized eye care services. Call us at (703) 413-1400 or fill out our contact form to schedule an appointment. We serve homeowners in ‘Crystal City, VA.
