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Educational Toys vs. Traditional Toys: What Are The Differences Between Them?
- Wei Hao Pow
- 15 mins read
Table of Contents
As a parent who is deciding on how to provide the best learning opportunities for your child, learning toys would have made it as one of your choices. But with the demand for toys growing in the market, there are more types of toys available.
Two such examples are educational toys and traditional toys. The question then becomes – What are the differences between these two?
The differences between educational toys and traditional toys are an interesting one, as each type of toys have specific areas of focus and unique benefits to your child’s development.
In this article we will discuss:
- The differences between educational toys and traditional toys
- Few examples of both educational and traditional toys
- Insights to prove whether educational toys or traditional toys are more popular amongst parents these days
- Which is better – educational toys or traditional toys
What Are The Main Differences Between Educational Toys and Traditional Toys?
For beginners, you may have the understanding that educational toys are designed to stimulate learning and cognitive development, while traditional toys are more simplified form of toys that also foster imagination while providing more social interaction opportunities.
In general, the evolution of toys has moved from a traditional way of playing to incorporating technology and interactive play as the demand for education and learning from parents becomes more prevalent.
If there is one commonality shared between these two kinds of toys – it’s that they are intentionally designed to support your child’s brain development, focus, and help build their skills through hands-on learning.
What about behind the similarities? When researching and browsing for your next toy purchase in a store, how would you know if it is an educational toy or traditional toy?
The differences between educational toys and traditional toys can boil down to these core pillars:
Purpose and Utility
Educational Toys
The reason why educational toys exist in the first place is to promote and encourage fun while doing hands-on learning.
These toys may be representative of certain areas of development in a child that they claim to enhance.
For example, when it comes to satisfying the innate curiosity of your child who is interested in science, the ultimate starter kits “4M STEAM Scientific Discovery Volume 1” and “4M STEAM Scientific Discovery Volume 2” make the perfect option.
In general, these educational toys not only introduce basic notions such as numbers, shapes, or colors to your child, but also brought the learning to another level with an array of advanced activities such as STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics) exercises made available.
Traditional Toys
On the other hand, there are traditional toys, which are tailored towards a different style of learning and play – the free play. They are meant to entertain, develop imaginative playing, and inculcate socializing, and less of achieving a specific educational goal of a child.
Traditional toys usually do not have a specified educational goal or structured learning outcome.
Instead, what they are great at is inspiring creativity and emotional development within your child, and not placing much emphasis to academic learning.
For example, for a game of beating the toy drum, there is no set of rules to follow for your child. However, there is an element of inclusion with peers that helps foster group play and sparks conversation and imaginative play!
These skills tend to not be relevant to the academic skills that we are familiar with.
Types of Play
Educational Toys
Educational toys provoke and encourage purposeful play, with an intention to learn something while having fun in the process.
For example, problem-solving toys, such as jigsaw puzzles like Thinkfun Brainteaser Jigsaw Puzzle 4 Pieces and logic games , require your child to think hard, thus developing his logical and critical thinking skills.
On the other hand, there is also STEAM toy, which stands for “Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics”. These scientific and robotic learning kits would inspire your child to think out of the box and inquire scientific and mathematical information.
Did we also mention that it’s also relatively easy to recognize educational toys from its packaging when browsing from the store?
It’s no accident.
Unlike traditional toy packaging, these educational toy boxes often emphasise on developmental benefits of a child which often time include icons, charts, or statements like “STEAM learning”.
These communication make it clear to the parents when deciding which toy to purchase.
Traditional Toys
Traditional toys are usually targeted for imaginative, free play.
Some examples of traditional toys are dolls, toy drums, and action figures.
These toys allow the child to create their own narratives, stories, and situations while advancing or navigating through their own games and “quest”, developing the child’s imaginative and communication skills.
As much as they are an excellent tools for supporting your child’s social-emotional development, traditional toys do not have a relevance to educational learning outcome.
What you might realise is that traditional toys emphasize on plays that are more open-minded with no pre-defined way for learning to occur. If this is what you’re looking for, you may wish to find out more about certain educational toys that support the same kind of learning, such as Outdoor Toys from 4M, and Thinkfun Last Letter.
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Developmental Focus
Educational Toys
Most educational toys are designed in line with developmental goals and milestones of a child in mind. They help support the development of necessary skills for your child to thrive and excel in both academy and life.
At different ages, your child have different developmental needs.For toddlers and infants, the focus would be on their physical development like motor skills or speech development. As they grow older into their primary school years or even adolescence years, the focus would then shift towards building character and growing interests in STEAM kits – Science, Technology, Engineering, Math.
If you’re looking for options to enhance your child’s fine motor skills, building and construction toys may suit your needs. To support your child’s focus and cognitive development, you may consider one of our fans’ favourites – Thinkfun Amaze alike.
If you notice – these toys are carefully carefully designed to target specific age ranges and learning outcomes, offering challenges appropriate to your child’s developmental level.
We have put together a list of different types of educational toys available out there that may guide you in choosing the right one for your child!
Traditional Toys
Traditional toys have less emphasis on skills development and developmental process, and instead place more emphasis on free-play and fun-learning.
Even though you may know a few traditional toys that still support basic motor skills in your child, such as fine precision movement, these toys generally focus on fostering imagination and social interaction amongst children and peers rather than supporting structured skill development.
If that is what you are looking for, then you may consider getting your child a traditional toy. If you’re looking for a more skill-focused and developmental type of toys, then we’d recommend you to consider educational toys.
Parent and Educator Involvement
Educational Toys
Because there are age restrictions to educational toys for these children, fun play with this type of toys will then be more regulated by parents or even educators, thus receiving more involvement from them.
To illustrate this further – If you observe carefully on the packaging of these educational toys, many include instructions and suggestions on how they should be used, or even advice on how a specific learning outcome can be achieved from the play.
Traditional Toys
On the other hand, traditional toys tend to promote individual or solitary play, as they generally require less guidance or supervision. For example, a child can play alone with an action figure or toy drum by using their own imagination, without the involvement of an adult to fulfill.
While an adult may play traditional toys alongside the child, it is not necessary after all.
Price and Accessibility
Educational Toys
Since educational toys are specifically designed for learning, they would be more expensive in comparison to their traditional counterpart due to their complex designs and manufacturing costs.
The good news is that there is a great range of educational toys available that are also affordable in the market. At Lancashire Toys, our toys are priced from as low as $7.90 (4M Glow Llama and other Glow lineup) to as high as $299.90 for our nanoblock NB-059 T Saint-Michel Special Deluxe Edition.
If you feel that they are still not as affordable as they can be, stick around for sale and promotion to happen, which are widely available at our toy store, on the internet and in various physical stores.
Traditional Toys
Traditional toys, on the other hand, are often cheaper and easier to locate. They are often less detailed and complex in their design, and can often be manufactured or created at a low cost.
Because of their popularity and demand, many types of traditional toys can be purchased at numerous retail outlets and stores.
Materials Used
Educational Toys
Understanding the different material used in both types of toys isn’t just about the durability of the item, but more so about the safety, sustainability, and how the materials support play.
For educational toys, they are often made with durable, child-safe materials that can withstand repeated, hands-on usage. This is a crucial point to take note of since sensory learning is supported in the hands-on play process, and safe materials used would ensure safe, sustained usage over a long period of time.
Some common materials used in educational toys include:
- High quality plastics (Often BPA-free)
- Smooth, sanded wood
- Silicone or rubber for sensory elements
- Eco-friendly components (especially in STEAM kits)
- Non toxic paints
Traditional Toys
Traditional toys are often made with natural, open-ended materials that encourage imagination and creativity. They may not include complex parts or high-tech features, but that’s what makes them unique and timeless in the first place.
Some common material used in traditional toys include:
- Wood (trains, puzzles)
- Fabric (dolls, stuffed animals)
- Metal (toy cars, musical toys)
- Simple plastic (figurines)
What Are Some Examples of Educational Toys?
There are so many types of educational toys available in the market. To enhance your child’s learning experience, whether it be in a classroom or home setting, these educational toys are broken down by their utility and age-appropriateness.
We have further broken that down based on their types such as:
- Building and Construction Toys
- Puzzles
- Mathematics Toys
- Language Toys
- Science STEAM Kits
- Role-Playing Toys
- Musical Instruments Toy
- Motor Skill Toys
At around 10 to 12 months old, your child is becoming more mobile, interactive, and more curious about his world. As a result, they’d want to explore the world through touch, sound, and movement.
Educational toys invented for children in this age group should be simple, safe, and sensory-rich.
Some examples of educational toys for children in this age group include:
Between the ages of 2 to 4, your child is bursting with energy, feelings, and even bigger questions about the world around them. This is the stage where play becomes more imaginative, more interactive, and more collaborative with peers or family.
Some examples of educational toys for children in this age group include:
By the time your child reaches 7 to 10 yers old, play starts to take on a new kind of purpose. They start to ask bigger questions, dive deeper into their interests, and gaining confidence to explore new challenges on their own.
Educational toys that are invented for children in this age period go far beyond just keeping them entertained, they also help sharpen thinking, spark creativity, and encourage independence.
Some examples of educational toys for children in this age group include:
- NB-045 Tower Bridge Deluxe Edition by nanoblock
- 4M STEAM Powered Kids – Dinosaur World
- nanoblock NBH-222 Itukushima Shrine
What Are Some Examples of Traditional Toys?
You may have an impression that educational toys are sophisticated and complex in their design and play process, but traditional toys are on the contrary. These toys are simple, hands-on, and full of imaginative possibilities.
These classic playthings help support your child’s growth in his imagination, creativity, and social interaction.
If you’re looking for something timeless for your child such as open-minded play where he can imagine his own stories and narratives, and learn through exploration, then traditional toys might be for you!
In that case, some examples of traditional toys for children include:
- Wooden blocks
- Dolls
- Stuffed animals
- Toy cars and trains
- Puppets and figurines
- Jump ropes and balls
- Toy drums
Are More Parents Choosing Educational Toys Over Traditional Ones?
In today’s fast-paced digital world, it’s inevitable for parents to become more conscious about the way their children play and learn.
With more parents, like yourself, considering using toys as one of the resources and tools to integrate learning and fun-play for their children, it can be puzzling to decide whether the switch from tech-enriched alternatives to open-ended play using toys is well worth.
And for those who have made the switch, is there a higher percentage of parents choosing educational toys over traditional ones?
We found out that a recent Blix Education survey found 87% of parents now favor DIY educational toy with STEAM themes, which clearly demonstrates a clear shift toward learning-focused play.
In addition, since educational toys support a child’s learning at home and help these children develop future-ready abilities, they are now surpassing their counterpart – traditional toys – in popularity. This was deduced after 88% of parents agreeing that these toys aid in development by promoting active learning and logical thinking.
Which Is Better: Educational Toys or Traditional Toys?
At Lancashire Toys, we believe that all types of toys are made with one common goal – that is to instill fun into every part of a child’s learning journey.
With that in mind, we feel that both educational toys and traditional toys have their own unique value, just in different ways.
Educational Toys
On one hand, we have educational toys which are designed with focused-learning in mind by helping your child to develop specific skills such as math, language, and science.
Best for: Targeted skill development and are often used to support critical thinking and focus.
Traditional Toys
On the other hand, we have classic toys like stuffed animals and dolls which encourage imagination, creativity, and emotional development. They allow for an open-ended play to satisfy that creative side of your child.
Best for: Supporting imagination, empathy, and creative play.
Key Takeaways
- Parents today are seeking better learning opportunities through toys
- The toy market is now saturated with 2 types of toys that support a child’s learning – educational toys and traditional toys
- Educational toys and traditional toys both hold their own unique strengths and purpose
- This article explores their differences, showcase certain toy examples, and whether more parents are favoring educational toys or traditional toys in today’s world.
Wei Hao Pow
Wei Hao, the E-commerce Digital Marketing at Lancashire Toys, is passionate about writing and coming up with content around toys, especially educational toys, to help enhance the lives and experience of young children with curious minds.
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Wei Hao Pow
Wei Hao, the E-commerce Digital Marketing at Lancashire Toys, is passionate about writing and coming up with content around toys, especially educational toys, to help enhance the lives and experience of young children with curious minds.
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