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Problem Solving Through Trial and Error
Very young children learn how to problem solve through trial and error, and shape sorter toys allow your child plenty of opportunity to problem solve on their own.
Through trial and error, they try putting one shape in each hole until they finally find the right hole for the shape.
Physically being able to manipulate objects to solve problems helps your child gain practical knowledge and understanding.
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Visual Perception
Did you know that shape sorter toys help your child develop their visual perception?
We’ve all heard the phrase ‘seeing is believing’ and this is certainly true to our understanding at any age.
For example, a young child has no idea what effect his actions can have, but through toys like shape sorters, your child begins to gain knowledge about cause in effect.
When they place a block in the right hole and the block falls into the box, your child quickly learns that their actions of putting in the block in the hole makes it disappear from sight.
They then learn that when they open the box, the block is there.
Eventually through play, your child makes the connection that their actions simply cause the block to drop into the box.
It is through their visual perception that your child eventually learns about shapes, colors, and more. You can find out more about child’s visual perception here.
Top 3 Shape Sorter & Stacking Toy Sets
Our top pick: Melissa & Doug Shape Sorting Cube
Second place: Montessori Wooden Toys Sorting & Stacking Set by Pebira
Third place: Fisher-Price Baby’s First Blocks
Helps A Child Better Understand the Physical World Around Them
Shape sorter toys also help children begin to better understand the physical world around them.
They learn that no matter what shape the hole is, if they place an object smaller than the hole into any slot, the object will drop in the box.
At the same time, they learn that objects larger than the hole are never going to fit into the slot.
Your child will take this physical skills they learn and adapt them for everyday life in time.
Hand Eye Co-ordination
Through the repeated action of picking up a shape and trying to place it in one of the holes in the shape sorter toy, your child will develop and improve their hand eye co-ordination skills.
Initially, your toddler, if they are very young, my take a few attempts to take the shape in their hand and direct it towards a hole in the shape sorter.
They may get distracted and drop the shape, or they might place the shape to the side of the hole as opposed to over it.
But over time, as their hand eye co-ordination significantly improves, they will be able to take a shape and in one movement, place it into the correct hole on the box.
Conclusion
Shape sorter toys have been around for generations because they provide essential physical benefits to a child’s development.
While these shape sorters have evolved and become more colorful over time, the main goal has stayed the same: To help your child develop and improve those important early childhood physical skills.
Purchasing a variety of toys such as shape sorters, simple wooden puzzles, and building blocks will give your child a variety of physical learning benefits while providing them with hours of fun.
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