Often toys serve a dual purpose. Besides entertainment, toys also
serve to enhance cognitive behavior and to stimulate creativity.
Toys for infants include those with distinguishable sounds, bright
colors, and a unique feel. During this time, infants begin to
recognize shapes, colors and after repetitive use, the nascent
person attains familiarity with object reinforcing memory recollection.
Coordination and other manual skills develop from subsequent childhood
activities of interaction with toys. Marbles, jackstones, and
stackable blocks requiring use of hands and bodies. Mental agility,
beginning with childhood, is challenged by toyish puzzle of spatial
relationships. Play-Doh, Silly Putty and other hands-on materials
allow the child to make toys of their own.[6]
Educational toys for children of a greater age often contain
some puzzle, problem-solving technique, or mathematical proposition.
A popular toy for this age group was the Rubik's Cube. Popularized
in the 1980s, solving the cube requires some planning and problem-solving
skills. Newton's cradle, a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble,
demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy.
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