Keeping Up With Innovation: The Latest Advancements in Educational Toy Technology

With the introduction of new technologies, the kids’ educational toy market is not far behind in introducing them to new and improved children's play tools. Kids' toys are not any more just playthings, they have become science-backed tools to shape children’s cognitive, emotional, and social development. Today, we will explore how artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT) and Virtual Reality (VR) have influenced kids’ toys. Let’s shed some light on the trends revolving around technology in toys: 

Trends in Educational Toy Technology

Gone are the days when toys were just objects to keep kids busy in meaningless activities; they are now sophisticated tools designed to stimulate young minds. The integration of technology in toys has opened up a world of possibilities where children can engage in immersive learning experiences. So let’s find out what are the opportunities in this market:

STEM Toys

With the growing popularity of STEM in education, parents also prefer games or play tools that introduce kids to the fascinating concepts of science, engineering, management and technology from a young age. Skillmatics’ games like Magnetopia - Design Your City | Interactive Pretend Play Set, Buildables Iron Man | STEM construction toys or Science Snippets Kit | The Human Body makes kids’ playtime engaging, fun and full of learning.

Artificial Intelligence Toys

One of the most notable trends in the kids' toy industry is the rise of AI-powered toys. These intelligent playmates often come in the form of kid-friendly robots that leverage machine-learning algorithms to adapt to a child's preferences and abilities. So play time becomes a personalised learning experience. Some artificial intelligence toys also turn into AR (Augmented Reality) supported interactive toys. These toys educate kids on child-friendly ideas, notions, knowledge and innovations in simple language through virtual characters to help children grasp them quickly. 

Classics with A Twist

Kids’ arts & crafts sets or puzzle games have always been some of the classic play items. While they are still popular among children, most of them are reintroduced in the engineering toys market with a twist. The puzzles collection from Skillmatics goes beyond just solving puzzles, they also educate kids on new facts and numbers through puzzle play. The creative game collection from Skillmatics like Fun with Foam or Unicorn and Princess Foil Art Kit has addressed parents’ concerns about making a mess and helps maintain kids’ craft time in a mess-free way. 

Benefits of Innovative Educational Toys

It’s undeniable that the introduction of technology in toys is the beginning of a revolution. Let’s check out the benefits of this revolutionary inception:

Improved IQ

When technology & toys go hand in hand, the end product is a miraculous plaything that helps kids memorise concepts, hone skills, understand logic, enhance fine motor skills, experiment with ideas, coordinate and communicate with their playmates. All these jointly improve kids’ IQ and EQ. 

Great Problem Solvers

As most artificial intelligence toys challenge children and let them find solutions to the problems at hand, kids focus more on solving problems rather than cribbing over the issue. Regular play with such toys helps kids develop a great attention span, the ability to think in-depth and more energy to also help others find solutions.

Emotional Intelligence and Social Skills

The introduction of artificial intelligence in toys has turned games into interactive play tools where teamwork and social interaction take the front seats. Following the emotions or feelings displayed by the virtual characters in games, mirroring them, bonding with them or empathising with them - all help children turn into social beings who can read the room and react accordingly. 

Challenges in Educational Toy Innovation and Ways to Solve Them

While there is an ongoing discussion on the myriad benefits of engineering toys, they come with their share of challenges. Here is a roundup of the cons:

Over-Reliance On Screens

Most AR, VR or AI-supported kids’ games involve the use of digital screens. Spending hours on screens can impede children's social development and physical activity. The solution here comes in the form of Skillmatics’ STEM toys as kids have to play with them in real time. All Skillmatics’ engineering toys are about building or mending toys based on the various concepts of science. 

Accessibility and Affordability

While technology-based kids’ toys can be expensive, the same is untrue for Skillmatics’ games. Whether you choose our puzzles & pretend play sets or card & board games, all of them are affordable and can be the perfect companion during your kids’ playtime. 

As we now have a clear understanding of how the influx of technology in toys can alter the way kids interact, learn and play, it’s safe to say Skillmatics has a solution that benefits both kids and parents. Our STEM toys collection paves the way for a brighter future for your little ones and lets parents relax knowing that their little munchkins are learning through play. Browse through Skillmatics’ game collection today! 

FAQs on Technology in Toys

What are the best educational toys for different age groups?

High contrast flash cards for 0-3 year olds, Dot It! for 3+ year olds, floor puzzles and games for 6+ years olds and mystery board games for 8+ years olds are amongst the best educational toys. 

How can parents evaluate the educational value of a toy?

If you’re not sure how valuable a toy is for your kid, it’s best to pick kids’ toys from Skillmatics’ exciting collection. All educational toys on Skillmatics are listed under various categories and age ranges. So parents can easily choose the one that matches their little one’s interests and developmental stages.

Are there any safety concerns with innovative toys?

All STEM and creative toys from Skillmatics are made from child-friendly materials. So you can be assured that there is no safety concern for your little one when playing with them.