Design a Toy for Infants/Toddlers

Design a Toy
One of the signs of Early Childhood Development is the ability to engage in play. Young children prefer non structured environments that gives them the “freedom” to un-limit their play in different settings. Children vary physically, socially-emotionally, and intellectually due to their chronological age, physical development, and experiences. It is a natural tool for children to develop resiliency as they learn to cooperate, overcome challenges, and negotiate with others. Play also allows children to be creative (Anderson-McNamee). It provides time for parents to be fully engaged with their children, to bond with their children, and to see the world from the perspective of their child. This is why I created a toy for the age range 2-3 where parents can be involved if they want to. Children who are two to three years old explore the environment beyond themselves. They have begun to develop loco motor actions that take them places they have been watching for a long time, and they can finally satisfy their intellectual curiosity about things they see and hear. In this age range, children still need support of adults even though they reside in the egocentric stage of development. They need adults to lend assistance, when needed, while allowing them to be independent (Englebright, 2008). So the toy I introduce to you is called The Mega BabyPod!
This toy is a large, square-shaped, educational iPod for babies. It can come in various colors such as black, blue, red, pink, green, and yellow. It includes many forms of learning their shapes and sizes, numbers and letters, colors, small words, and the basic parts of the human body in various forms of games. Now all these different categories are all on the toddler education level of course and are displayed in a fun, easy way of learning just for the 2-3 age range. The Mega BabyPod can be operated by the child’s finger and also the child’s voice. If a question is asked from the BabyPod, the child can either verbally answer the question or choose an answer by pressing it with a finger. This toy is enjoyable for the parents just as well as the kids. It helps the child gain knowledge which they can eventually use the gained knowledge when starting kindergarten. This toy is an electrically powered toy so it would need adult supervision. My toy is designed to stimulate cognitive development. It stimulates cognitive development because they are concerned with knowing and thinking while playing with this toy and the toy involves language, mental imagery, thinking, reasoning, problem solving, and memory development. Since Cognitive development focuses on how children learn and process information and is the development of the thinking and organizing systems of the mind, The Mega BabyPod falls right up under this category.
The toys that we choose to buy for our kids can make a difference in their development. We all know Children love to be creative and use their imaginations. Toys provide an opportunity for them to do just that, and play an important role in enriching children's lives. By giving children opportunities to be creative, you help develop their self-confidence and a sense of pride in their resourcefulness and accomplishments. Oftentimes, it's a simple toy that provides a broad range of play value but the Mega BabyPod can provide that and much more.

Reference
Anderson-McNamee, Jona K., et al. Home - Montana State University Extension. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.
Englebright, Jill. "Article Reading Center." Earlychildhood NEWS. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2014.