They prefer to be with other children and learn social skills by playing with other children. Again, parental contact continues to be important for a preschooler's development. Children learn how to appropriately play with others from their parents. Then they test their new knowledge out with other children. Toys for infants are not very important, but they become more important as children grow.
Toys are educational.
But sometimes families get so busy that they substitute buying toys instead of playing with their children. Once children start school, parents still need to be involved in play, but it becomes more important to give their children the freedom to become more socially interactive with peers. The healthiest environment is one where parents still play with kids. Playing board games or playing outside together is a way to teach children how to interact with other children. Play is like eating.