As fun as children's toys are, their main function is to help foster learning and brain development. According to Gary Kirkilas, MD, a pediatrician at Phoenix Children’s Hospital and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics, toddlers tend to learn best through play as opposed to structured teaching.
For this reason, he recommends opting for less flashy toys, which are successful at immediately grabbing a child's attention, but have a novelty that wears out fast. Instead, he suggests choosing toys that are specifically designed to help stimulate a child’s natural inclination to learn.
"It also helps if learning toys are the norm for the household in order to foster a more learning-centric environment," he says. "Parents can also encourage family and friends to stick with toys with learning in mind as gift ideas."