BUILDING BLOCKS BUILD MORE THAN SKILLS

2016 was the first year in which children spent more time online than watching television. Roy Morgan

Two thirds of primary school children and a third of preschoolers have their own mobile device. Royal Children’s Hospital

Children aged between six and thirteen spend nearly as much time in front of a screen per week as a parent does at work.

Royal Children’s Hospital

BUILD MORE THAN SKILLS

BY SIMON HARDING

It is in a toddler’s inquisitive nature to explore new objects; to touch, to smell – even to taste. Hand them a ball and they’ll get a sense of its shape and texture, then they’ll throw it and observe how it moves.

Show them the same on a tablet and they can merely watch it in two dimensions. Wave a finger across the screen, and all they’ll feel is glass.

That, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (sic), is one of the problems with today’s toys. The Academy’s concern is that the increase in screen time is associated with a decrease in active and toy-based play. Traditionally, toys have been very much hands-on; they have fuelled imagination and encouraged the growth of new skills. The best ones have allowed parents and children to play together – providing the kind of human interaction and relationship development that is vital to early brain development. The trouble is that toys today are different. So many of them now come with an app that reinforces what is a growing dependence on computers and tablets, and children are drawn to the lights, sounds and movements that they see on the screen. Within what seems like moments, they are swiping and scrolling through media like experts, as if they were born to do little else.

Of course, plenty of electronic games and applications claim they provide educational benefits, so at least that means our children are learning while they’re using these toys, right? Not according to the Academy. It does not believe there is currently any scientific evidence to suggest that interactive media can offer the same learning opportunities as hands-on play. It has been recognised, the Academy says, that electronic media has been linked to reductions in cognitive, language and gross-motor activities, all of which have implications for child development.

The first few years of a child’s life are very important. It is a period in which the brain’s neural networks form their connections. During this time, it is believed that binocular vision, hearing and language – amongst other abilities – are acquired. For that to happen, adequate stimuli from the environment need to be received, and play is an important part of this. According to the AAP, it contributes to a child’s mental, physical, social and emotional wellbeing and is critical to their healthy development.

Toys are obviously an intrinsic aspect of this play and they are important in helping cognitive development, language skills, imagination, problem-solving and physical activity, especially as children move from infancy to toddlerhood to primary school. The trouble is, says the AAP, the way our children play with them is changing. When we hand a child a tablet, we limit their exposure to the environment by encouraging what is very much a solitary pursuit. Electronic toys and tablets detract from social engagement – in other words, they are depriving our children of the one thing they need and want most: the interaction and engagement of their parents or caregivers.

In today’s world, however, many parents are just too busy to provide as much of

The average time Aussies spend on the internet every day decreased in 2018 compared to 2017 by a whole 30 minutes; from 5 hours 34 minutes to 5 hour 4 minutes. The average daily time spent on social media has also decreased by 8 minutes year-on-year.

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LEGO MASTERS CO HOST HAMISH BLAKE

Always in fashion

Recent reality TV hit Lego Masters displays the perenial attraction and creative opportunities in open-ended building toys such as Lego. Lego Masters it still available streaming on 9Now.

Image Nine Network

this kind of interaction as they might like. As the jobs mount up and time seems to evaporate into thin air, it’s becoming more and more common to hand a tablet to a child as a way of keeping them occupied while whatever important task is performed. Queensland Health, however, warns that there is a limit to how much electronic media a child should be exposed to, and links overuse to disrupted sleep patterns, behavioural problems, loss of social skills and reduced playtime. For children over the age of two, it says that restricted, supervised and selective screen time can assist development, though it also makes the observation that parental participation is important to the child enjoying the experience and learning more.

The solution? The AAP recommends a return to simple toys that parents and children can play with together. It is the Academy’s view that the purpose of toys in infancy is to facilitate warm, supportive interactions, and to encourage the development of new skills. And what makes them most effective is the interaction with the caregiver, who can guide the play and enrich the experience. Typically, the Academy recommends toys that facilitate problemsolving and imaginative play, and some toys can even grow with children.

Growing toys such as Lego or Duplo have been long associated with the ‘creativecooperative’ message which the Academy advocates, promoting fine motor skills, lateral thinking and interaction among children. In homes increasingly dominated by digital products, LEGO has managed to remain relevant and may become more popular than ever in Australia, with the introduction of LegoMasters, the familyfriendly brick-building show. Broadcast on the Nine Network, it grabbed huge ratings numbers in early May among children and adults, reinforcing bonds built among families who play together.

Lego Master Builder Chris Steininger believes hands-on learning is good for parent-child development. According to Fatherly.com, he has been playing with big Duplo bricks with his children since they were 2-years-old.

“The faster I could build that tower, the faster [they were] tearing it down. That’s just good family time at a very young age,” he told the digital lifestyle/parenting brand.

If we return to the example of a child with a ball, as they grow, so too does their experience with the ball. Where an infant might initially explore a ball’s shape and texture, as they grow older and their skills develop, the same child learns to use a ball in so many more ways.

Children may well be fascinated by electronic devices. Simple toys – sock puppets, wooden blocks, farm animals – however, present proven opportunities to advance children’s constructive, exploratory and roleplay skills.

In summary, it seems that while children may well be fascinated by electronic toys, being left to play alone with them can represent a missed opportunity for them to learn new skills.

ADVICE FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS

1Recognize that one of the most important purposes of play with toys throughout childhood, and especially in infancy, is not educational at all but rather to facilitate warm, supportive interactions and relationships.

2The most educational toy is one that fosters interactions between caregivers and children in supportive, unconditional play. 3 Provide children with safe, affordable toys that are developmentally appropriate. Include toys that promote learning and growth in all areas of development. Choose toys that are not overstimulating and encourage children to use their imaginations.

4Make a thoughtful selection of toys and remember that a good toy does not have to be trendy or expensive. Indeed, sometimes the simplest toys may be the best, in that they provide opportunities for children to use their imagination to create the toy use, not the other way around. 5 Use children’s books to develop ideas for pretending together while playing with toys; use of the library should be routine for all parents regardless of socioeconomic status.

6Keep in mind that toys are not a substitute for warm, loving, dependable relationships.

7Seek the paediatric health care provider’s advice in distinguishing between safe and unsafe toys (see Resources). 8 Be aware of the potential for toys to promote race- or gender-based stereotypes.

9Limit video game and computer game use. Total screen time, including television and computer use, should be less than 1 hour per day for children 2 years or older and avoided in children 18 to 24 months of age.

10 Seek out toys that encourage the child to be both mentally and physically active.

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