The Benefits of Ride-On Toys
Today our guest blogger, Full Throttle Toys, Inc. owner Matt Westfallen, gives us the 411 on benefits of ride-on toys.
Around Chicagoland, summer is in full swing. Along with the extra hours of summer fun and sun comes the worry that
our kids are losing the skills they acquired during the school year. Worksheets and flash cards will help, but there is another fun way to help kids with some of the “intangibles” of learning.
When used safely and properly, battery operated, ride-on toys have been proven to provide children with opportunities to practice many early learning skills that are rarely taught in school yet are vital for balanced growth.
Skills that Can Be Developed by Using Ride-On Toys:
- Gross and Fine Motor Skills: Battery-operated, ride-on toys provide many ways to develop gross and fine motor skills. By operating the vehicle on various types of terrain, opening and closing doors or manipulating the dashboard, children will be using both fine motor skills and gross motor skills.
- Exercise and Exploration: While playing with a ride-on vehicle toy, not only will children be burning calories, they’ll be outside exploring their world.
- Sense of Balance: While operating ride-on toys, children will also develop an improved sense of balance. Children who have played with ride-on toys find it easier as they grow older to ride bikes, and to use roller blades and roller skates, because they have learned to distribute their weight while operating vehicles on various surfaces.
- Spatial Play: It is also important to note that spatial play is stimulated when your children are out exploring the outdoors in a ride-on vehicle. This type of play will improve observation skills and stimulate their imaginations.
- Independent Play: One area that parents often struggle with is helping kids play independently. This is crucial for self-esteem and intrinsic motivation. Having the opportunity to drive a vehicle is often enough to get kids to play on their own. This is a great way for kids to recognize their thoughts and emotions and to learn how to express themselves in appropriate ways.
- Group Play: Group play is also abundant with ride-on toys for children. By playing and riding their toys in groups, children learn how to better communicate with each other and to work as a team. Children learn how to understand the feelings of others, share ideas, give input, and work together productively.
Ride-on toys provide a world of fun, freedom, choice, growth, and learning for children. Just watch the smile that breaks across every (yes, every) kid’s face as they discover that they are actually driving. Ride-on toys are wonderful, well-rounded educational tools for summer and beyond.
For more information, to select a vehicle to fit into your private party, day care activities, or special education program, or to simply find a vehicle for your son or daughter for a day at the park, click here. You can also contact Full Throttle Toys, Inc. via e-mail at fullthrottletoys@gmail.com. Full Throttle Toys, Inc. serves all of Chicagoland.