Do You Know the Reasons for the Love for Soft Toys?

A child’s love for soft toys is known to all adults. Most of the time it is the safest gift to give to a kid. In the first four years of my parenting journey, I have bought various toys for Little Miss A and of course, we have received many as gifts. I try and get toys that help in her development and at each stage and thus, we have enough toys to keep her busy. At the end of the day, the toys she loves the most are her soft toys.

While I am writing this post, she is sleeping next to me holding her bunny rabbit whom she calls Fluffy. Though she has not been very attached to any one toy and we have never needed to carry one everywhere, but, she loves to play with all of them. It is like the flavor of the day. People often think that the love for soft toys is a waste as these have no developmental value. I think this is not true and there are many benefits attached to it.  

The Eternal Love for Soft Toys

I hardly have ever found any child who does not adore a stuffed toy. Let’s be honest and admit, we as adults love them too. We need one on our bed just to cuddle, one to secretly gift to your childhood crush, or just to keep them in our display units.

We have been through that age and have done them all and yet as grown-ups, we still meltdown at the sight of a cute stuffed toy at the mall. Some supermarkets even use mini stuffed toys for us to binge shop on at the billing counter! That’s the fan-base of a stuffed toy. So no wonder our little ones are right to fall in love with them.

Stages for the Love of Soft Toys

Each stage of childhood has different reasons for the love of soft toys. Let me talk about the ways I have seen Little Miss A loving her toys and this is true of most kids.

As a Baby

As a baby, she loved to touch them especially the soft fur and the eyes. At this stage, she would often put them in her mouth so I had to be careful about ensuring they are clean and did not have any beads or small parts. She also loved to play with her squeaky toys especially during bath.

(If you want help to know which are the best toys for one year olds read our post, Best Toys for Your Baby’s First Year)

Toddler

Till she was about 3 years old, it was about learning names and also giving names. She was excited to have a dog, kangaroo, rabbit, teddy, Peppa and George pig and a tiger. She had names for all of them like snowy and fluffy and so on. She used to play with them, get angry at them, hit them and also throw them and kiss them later.

Basically, it was like trying her emotions and maybe understanding them. One of her first lessons on empathy, I would say. She also fed them or bathed them or changed their clothes which I would say was showing how observant she was as she would imitate me.

Preschooler

As of now, her games with the toys are more about her imagination. She becomes a doctor and treats her dog or teaches all her toys and give them names of her school friends. Each day is a new game and I often see she talks to them.

Most of the time she repeats what she hears from us but sometimes it is a new and a very interesting conversation. The soft toys encourage independent play and also make them calm in my opinion. 

Kids beyond this stage also love their soft toys and the reasons vary. It is said that most kids like to play with their stuffed friends until they are about 10.

As we have said all kids like soft toys but have you ever wondered the reason for this? Let us find out.

Reasons for the Love for Soft Toys

Foster love

Kids love to play with stuffed toys. Because they imitate human emotions so well in their design, it is easier for your child to connect with the toys. They love to play the ‘adult’ with the stuffed toy. Sometimes they are the doctors and the stuffed toy is the patient while in others, your child is the mommy imitating you to the stuffed toy- their ‘kid’. It develops a sense of love and nurturing in the children right from a very young age. Many experts in the field of Child Development claim that the role play with soft toys helps in their mental and social development.

Long Lasting

Soft toys are one of the few toys that stay as a part of the toy cabinet for years. They do not break or do not have parts that get lost. Kids at each stage have a game to play with them unlike the other age appropriate toys that they outgrow. Also, these are one of the few toys which can be carried anywhere easily. Little Miss A plays with some of the toys which my niece played with nearly 7-8 years back and she is playing with them for 4 years now.

(Read our post, Educational Toys for Your Toddler to Learn Alphabets and Numbers)

The attractive design

Stuffed toys are cute and so cuddly. These toys come in various shapes, sizes and forms. They always bear a smile, lightweight and thus easy for kids to handle and play with and come in attractive colors. And needless to say, bright contrasting colors make your child’s life equally colorful. The smiling faces of stuffed toys lift anyone’s mood and are cheerful to look at, which are the fundamental parameters that make a child happy. I feel most soft toys have a positive energy which makes the child like them more.

Cuddlesome

Stuffed toys are made of the softest materials, are lightweight and of various shapes and sizes, making them ideal to cuddle and hug. Their cheerful appearances coupled with the soft fabric and filling make them one of the favorite toys of your child.

Easy management

Stuffed toys are usually made of washable materials. So even if your kid dirties it up, it is always delightful for them to get their favorite stuffed animal back on their laps sparkling clean. Plus, if you are training your child to take care of their belongings and wrap up the play and organize the area, soft toys go easy on kids as they can be easily dumped in a chest or laid on a shelf compared to the hassle of collecting each piece of Lego or other toys.

(You may like to read our post, Best Toys for 1-2 Years Old)

Conclusion

We make sure we pick the right toys for our kids so that the play time is not just a play time but a time where their skills, emotions and sentiments improve. Stuffed toys are one of the best picks for your baby since they are soft and come in various sizes making them easy for your kid to hold and grab them improving their motor skills; their play dates with the stuffed toys cultivate their sensitivity and the attractive design of the stuffed toy makes it easy for kids to develop a near human connection with them. So the next time you go shopping for your kid’s toys, remember their love for soft toys and buy them one.