Educational Toys

Educational toys designed in accordance with the ages of children help them climb the developmental steps more easily and efficiently. These toys help children develop their motor skills while also encouraging their cognitive and emotional development. The products in IKEA's educational toy range aim to increase both children's individual skills and their ability to co-operate in groups.

Made from sustainable materials, wooden toys are an environmentally friendly alternative. Each toy is tested by considering the safety of children. These toys not only support the mental and physical development of children, but also contribute to the development of language skills. Language development is critical for children's academic and professional success later in life. Through educational toys, children learn new words and better comprehend language structures.

IKEA always has a variety of educational toys that appeal to children's different interests and are suitable for their development. These toys allow children to discover their talents in a wide range of areas of interest. These skills, which children acquire at an early age, accompany them throughout their lives.

Educational toys to support your child's development

Educational toys allow children to gain various skills from an early age. Thanks to 1 year old educational toys, 2 years old educational toys and baby toys for ages 1-2, your children experience a fun learning process. Exploring different colours, shapes and textures offers children new experiences.

Such stimuli provided at an early age enable children to better adapt to the learning processes they will encounter in the future. Educational toys also play an important role in improving children's attention span and concentration skills.
While playing with these toys, children also develop their mental abilities such as problem solving and understanding cause-effect relationships.

Children's educational toys include products containing auditory, visual and tactile stimuli. Thanks to these toys, children perceive their environment better and continue their learning processes more effectively. These toys are also perfect for developing children's independence and self-confidence. Creating play rules on their own and acting within these rules strengthens children's problem-solving skills and better prepares them for life.

Whether at home or out and about, IKEA's extensive collection of educational toys will give your children the opportunity to spend quality and educational time together. Discover IKEA's range of educational toys to give your children the best start and turn every moment into an adventure of discovery, and make the biggest investment in your children's development.

What is an educational toy?

Educational toys are toys that support children's mental, emotional and motor development. These toys are designed to improve children's problem-solving skills, fine motor skills and social interaction skills. Specially developed products, such as Montessori educational toys, give children freedom and help them discover on their own. These types of toys teach children the tools and methods needed to solve real world problems.

Educational toys also have a positive effect on children's language development. Children learn new words and improve their language skills while playing with these toys. For example, wooden educational toys can teach children basic information about shapes, colours and numbers. They can also improve children's memory skills, attention span and concentration.

Educational play rugs promote muscle development by encouraging children's physical activity. Children playing on these carpets develop motor skills by doing movements such as jumping and running.
Preschool educational toys allow children to acquire basic maths and reading skills before school.

Modern educational toys also include products that use technology. Such toys can help children acquire computer and programming skills at an early age. Through interactive games and applications, children can make their learning process more fun and interactive using technology.

In addition to these, educational toys are also important tools that support children's emotional development. For example, through role-playing games, children develop their ability to understand and empathise with social situations. Such games played in groups teach children the importance of teamwork and ways of communicating.

Educational toys are tools that support the development of children in all aspects and offer them fun experiences in their learning process. These toys encourage children's creativity and curiosity and provide them with an environment that makes them love learning. Each educational toy has the potential to contribute to the overall development of the child while targeting a specific area of development. For this reason, when choosing educational toys, making choices in accordance with the child's age, interests and developmental needs ensures that they both have fun and learn.

What are the benefits of educational toys for development?

Both scientific research and observations show that educational toys are effective in developing children's language skills, logical thinking and social skills. In particular, products such as preschool educational toys and educational play rugs enable children to learn basic skills in the preschool period through play. While these toys increase children's ability to express themselves, they also allow them to make significant improvements in their social interaction skills.

Studies conducted by educators and psychologists reveal that the skills that children acquire at an early age can significantly affect their academic and social success in later life stages. For this reason, educational toys help children develop essential skills such as critical thinking and problem solving at an early age. Children unwittingly use mathematical and grammatical skills while playing games, which makes the learning process more enjoyable and efficient.

Educational toys, which have an important place in child development, also have positive effects on emotional development.
Thanks to these toys, children learn to recognise, express and manage their emotions. Various educational toys such as musical toys, puzzles and storytelling sets support children's creativity and imagination and offer them the opportunity to explore new ways of thinking.

Experts state that toys that allow free play, such as Montessori educational toys, contribute to children becoming independent and free-thinking individuals. Such toys encourage children to establish and manage games on their own, thus contributing to the development of their self-confidence.

Products made from natural materials, such as wooden educational toys, are environmentally friendly and also contribute to the development of children's motor skills. For example, wooden blocks and shape sorters are excellent tools that develop children's hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills.

In addition to their functional benefits, educational toys also provide an opportunity for quality time between parents and children. These play tools enable parents to interact with their children and actively participate in their development process. This interaction both strengthens emotional bonds and contributes to the development of the child's social skills as well as moral values.

How should educational toys be?

Toys made of natural materials, especially wooden educational toys, are among the most suitable options for children's health. Made from safe, robust and environmentally friendly materials, these toys also attract attention with their durability. IKEA prioritises quality in its educational toy series designed with these criteria in mind.

The materials used in the design of educational toys should be carefully selected to protect children's health and provide them with a safe play environment. Plastics that do not contain harmful chemicals such as BPA, untreated wood and non-toxic paints are among the preferred materials in the production of educational toys. Especially in children's educational toy design, allergy-free fabrics should be used considering the physical contact of the child.

Another important factor is that toys are designed in accordance with child development. For example, Montessori educational toys should be minimalist and functional to encourage children to learn on their own.
Montessori toys are often designed to support simple, open-ended play, so that children have the chance to explore play in different ways.

Preschool educational toys should be designed to develop children's thinking abilities and problem solving skills. Toys such as jigsaw puzzles, counting sticks and alphabet blocks are examples of this category. Preschool children make much faster progress in their learning process by playing games and such toys provide an instructive and fun experience.

Non-sharp edges, structures without small parts and toys free from swallowable elements are essential for child safety. At the same time, the durability of toys is also important, so that children do not cause them to deteriorate or break easily during prolonged use. IKEA puts all its toys through rigorous safety tests to ensure that they fulfil these requirements.

In order for educational toys to be supported by parents and educators, they must have clear and understandable instructions for use. These manuals explain how to use the toys, what educational purposes they serve and at what age and developmental stages children can make the most of them. IKEA provides detailed user manuals with every educational toy to ensure that both children and parents get the most out of them.

Educational toys are indispensable tools for children's physical and mental development. IKEA's meticulously prepared educational toy series is based on safety and quality while both entertaining and teaching. You can increase their creativity and learning abilities with these toys that will make children spend every moment full of enthusiasm for discovery.

Educational toys suitable for age ranges

Each child develops at a different pace and it is recommended to educate with age-appropriate toys.
3 years old educational toys and 4 years old educational toy groups are prepared in difficulties suitable for children in these periods when skill and intelligence development accelerates. Newborn and baby toys for 6-12 months are also available at IKEA. These toys help children develop motor skills, self-confidence and social skills.

Especially the 1 year old educational toy and 2 year old educational toy options offer important opportunities to develop children's basic motor skills and perceptual abilities at this early stage. These baby products usually consist of colourful and large pieces, thus creating a safe and educational environment for children. Such stimulation provided at an early age has a positive impact on children's learning and communication skills in later life.

Wooden educational toys for these age categories are produced using environmentally friendly materials and give children the chance to interact with natural materials. Wooden toys offer long-term use thanks to their durable structure and encourage children's creativity. The simple and functional designs of wooden toys help develop children's problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination.

Preschool educational toys provided for children play a major role in the development of social skills as well as preparing for academic learning. Since these toys are suitable for playing in groups, interaction and communication skills between children can be strengthened. They are also designed in detail to increase children's attention spans and tracking abilities.

Montessori educational toys compatible with the Montessori method encourage children to express themselves and explore on their own. These toys increase children's independent thinking abilities and motivation for self-learning. Montessori toys are usually minimalist and multifunctional and are designed to develop children's imagination and creative thinking skills.

Educational play rug options also offer an interactive environment with different textures and colours where children can play safely on the floor.
The various activities and visual objects on these rugs help develop children's sensory perception and encourage them to learn new skills. By providing a safe playground, baby gyms, playmats and mobiles increase children's physical activity time and contribute to their healthy development.

Specially designed educational toys for all ages are designed to meet the individual needs and interests of children. IKEA offers a wide range of products where parents can easily find the most suitable products for their children's development. These toys have educational value in accordance with the age and developmental stages of children and will help them become more successful individuals in the future.

What should be considered when buying educational toys?

When choosing educational toys, toys suitable for the child's age and field of interest should be preferred. Toys that have product safety certificates and do not carry health risks should be your priority choice. It is of great importance that the educational toys you choose for your child are made of materials suitable for children's health. Especially for plastic toys, it is necessary to prefer products that do not contain harmful chemicals such as BPA. You can also ensure that your child grows up in a more comfortable and safe environment by examining options such as play rugs and baby sleep toys.

Another important issue is the educational value of toys. Toys that contain intelligence-enhancing elements suitable for the child's age, which will increase thinking ability and problem-solving skills should be especially preferred. Toys that encourage creativity and inspire children in areas such as art and design are also very useful. Educational toys that can attract your child's attention and play with pleasure for a long time and at the same time offer learning opportunities are ideal.

When choosing wooden educational toys, it is important to prefer toys produced with natural materials and coloured with paints harmless to children's health. Wooden toys are not only healthy and safe, but also contribute to the development of the child's motor skills. IKEA offers the healthiest and safest options for all your wooden toy needs, so you can let your child play safely.

It is also important that the toys are durable, of good quality and easy to use by the child. Because children can often use toys in challenging ways. For this reason, choosing impact-resistant and long-lasting toys instead of fragile or perishable toys is both an economical and safe choice.

You can find all the educational toys and products you need for your children to step into a healthy and happy future at IKEA and buy them with confidence. Discover IKEA's range of educational toys to maximise their creativity and learning potential!