When Batteries Might be a Good Thing
As much as I hate battery-operated toys for the majority of kids, there are some cases when they can be beneficial when chosen and used thoughtfully. Here are a few reasons why:
They Do Encourage Cause-and-Effect Learning
We talked about this last week, but sort of blew past it. Battery-operated toys often have buttons, levers, or sensors that respond with lights, sounds, or movement. This helps toddlers learn cause-and-effect relationships, and does help their understanding of how their actions influence their environment. The cause-and-effect is limited and doesn’t have the full breadth of variability that happens in the world, but for kids who are not ready for that full breadth of variability, the limitations might be beneficial.
They Promote Limited Sensory Engagement
One of the reasons I don’t like battery operated toys for most kids is that they don’t allow for much sensory exploration. Having said that - for kids with sensory aversions or who are easily spooked by the variability in sights, sounds and textures – battery operated toys offer a respite from variability. Toys with lights, sounds, and textures can provide sensory experiences that are more limited and that might better meet a child where they are. The trick here is to know the child in question and make decisions accordingly. Can they handle more variability in their sensory environment or not so much?
They Might Support Very Early Language Development
Many battery-operated toys feature songs, words, and phrases. For some learners, these can introduce new vocabulary, reinforce word meanings, and help with early speech development, especially when the toy repeats or models language. Most kids will be learning from a range of language models and mostly from people, but there is a minority of kiddos who need the sameness of the model to learn new words.
They Can Be Used for Joint Attention Activities
Battery operated toys can encourage shared attention between a toddler and a caregiver. Practicing taking turns pressing buttons, singing songs together or watching the effect from pulling a certain lever are all ways that adults and children can begin to share some joint attention, which is important for reciprocal communication.
I’m still a “meh’
While battery operated toys can be beneficial for a small group of kids, it’s important to balance them with open-ended toys (think: blocks, dolls, magnatiles) which encourage creativity and problem-solving. Having said that, for some kids, playing with those open-ended toys will require more support and more time from an adult. It’s not a “set-it-and-forget-it” situation. Finally, making sure that battery operated toys are not over stimulating and are used in moderation is super important for all kids and especially kiddos with sensory processing differences.