Lots of parents will probably be headed to their local toy store to get a bunch of toys for their kids this holiday season, but according to a new study they shouldn’t waste their money. New research, set to be published in the journal "Infant Behavior and Development," claims that kids actually benefit from having fewer toys rather than more.
The study out of the University of Toledo claims that kids are more creative and focused during playtime when they have fewer toys to choose from, which means they are getting more quality out of their playtime. Researchers came to the conclusion by watching kids’ playing habits when they were given either three or four toys and when they were given as many as 16.
“When provided with fewer toys in the environment, toddlers engage in longer periods of play with a single toy, allowing better focus to explore and play more creatively,” the researchers say, noting that having fewer toys, “promotes development and healthy play.”
But that doesn’t necessarily mean you have to stop buying kids all the toys you want. Researchers suggest keeping toys in storage and only giving kids a limited amount to play with at one time. They note by doing this it offers kids, “opportunities for novelty without creating the distraction posed by having too many toys available.”
Source: New York Post