The toy industry in our country is still at a budding stage catering to a vast consumer base of about a 500-million strong young population Kids love toys and always have. Childhood is a typical phase when one revels in visualizing the world beyond realities. Toys and games facilitate in offering this joy. They help in taking kids to their world where things happen on their terms; a world wherein they construct realities. But one needs to comprehend that toys are not just limited to playing the role of entertaining the child they have a much bigger role to play. Toys have an important part to play in a child’s overall physical and emotional growth. It may seem like merely an avenue to channel the abundant energy of children; however, a deeper look reveals a far bigger picture.
Toys have voyaged a long way to arrive at their current form. They are known to have existed in India since the Indus Valley Civilization. In contrary to the fancy, expensive toys that have become popular presently, conventional Indian toys and games were simple and took motivation from nature. In the last few years, however, there has been a shift from conventional toys to innovative toys, thus calling for the manufacturing of creative and educational toys.
Toys are a very beneficial resource for learning and can be utilized to encourage experiential learning in stimulating ways. They are advantageous in the teaching and learning of mathematics, languages, and science to name a few. Toys can be categorized into many groups such as rattles, dolls, classic board games, bhakti (miniature kitchen utensils); Outdoor games spinning toys, Dynamic Toys (Gravitational toys, Drum toys, etc.), and Walking Toys and Puppets to name a few.
Pros of learning with toys:
Toys aid kids in drawing an innate connection with their culture. Toys can also be utilized to teach many challenging concepts very easily thus helping the child to make the most of their interests and curiosity. They also enable speeding up language development. Traditional Indian games like – skipping, Gilli-danda, Sagargote and many more don’t require costly types of equipment and accessories. Playing traditional board games and outdoor games has always brought children together inspiring teamwork and social communication.
Below mentioned are a few trends that are transforming the Indian toy industry:
Sustainability: The amplified levels of mindfulness among people towards incorporating a sustainable lifestyle are congruent with the growth in sustainability practices in the global STEM toys market. Since these toys support customization, kids don’t get bored of these toys since there are many ways for them to construct something, thus escalating their life span.
Next-gen technology and toys: It has been studied that children learn best in an interactive environment. Hence today futuristic learning technology has taken the place of traditional blackboards, books, and homework. This enables enhancing the child’s critical thinking abilities. Gamification of toys enables them to learn serious subjects by the mode of playing with toys, thus boosting their imagination and preparing them for the future.
Playing dough, taking the Indian toy industry by storm: The toy manufacturing industry in our country has always come up with something that together with being fun also tends to double up as an excellent and safe learning method for your kids. The benefits associated with it are plentiful like the development of fine motor skills, encouraging creativity, improving social skills, supporting literacy and numeracy, and promoting playtime.
Do-it-yourself kits are all set to be the next thing: Do-it-yourself kits enable children to learn new hobbies, allow them to reconnoiter their capabilities, and above all facilitate them to tap into their imagination. STEM-based toys or DIY kits tend to offer a practical, hands-on learning approach to young and developing minds. This enables them to effortlessly grasp concepts like mathematics and science, thus lending an all-inclusive approach.
