written by Greta Nadolski & Leonie Diehl, pictures from Gwendolyn Knorr
Why are toys important for children?
When you walk around and keep your eyes open nowadays, you will notice many children staring at screens. When our parents used to give us books, puppets, cars or other toys, many parents these days grab their phone or tablet and hand it to their children instead. The toys we got handed as kids, thaught us a lot – even if we only rarely acknowledge their benefits. But what effects does it have when the next generation grows up watching YouTube shorts, Netflix and playing virtual games? Which impact does it have on their cognitive, physical and social development? New studies show: Toys are essential for healthy child development, and replacing them with phones can have harmful effects, which is why a child’s contact with them should be strictly limited.
A child’s motor skill development starts immediately after birth through natural maturing, environmental exposure, and active play. Between the ages of three and five, children enter a phase of crucial development for both gross and fine motor skills. While gross motor skills refer to large muscles used for walking, jumping, swimming, and climbing (etc.), fine motor skills include precise and detailed movement for skills like writing, buttoning clothes, using tools and typing. These skills are essential for a child’s independency and, if not developed correctly, can prevent them from performing daily tasks, destroy their ability to interact with their environment, as well as their ability to move. But unlike playing with building blocks, puzzles, moving figures and cars around, or pressing buttons on a toy, which require varied hand movements, tapping and swiping are limited and repetitive motions that do not strengthen hand muscles. Using phones often also involves sitting in fixed positions, reducing core activation and weakening important muscles. While reading a book or playing with simple figures requires imagination — children produce pictures in their heads, make their toys come to life, act out everyday scenarios, and explore new roles — phones do that for the child, often leaving little to no space for their own creativity. This stifles imagination. Imaginative play allows children to test their ideas, understand effects of actions, and think critically to solve problems. Therefore, not having these types of experiences can negatively affect cognitive development, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills.
Playing with actual toys is also important for the linguistic development of young children. Certain play sets, for example kitchen or farm toys, introduce them to new vocabulary and teaches them in context immediately. Additionally, it allows children to use language for narrative, acting out scenarios, and wording their ideas, which enhances storytelling and language skills. Social toys, such as board games, that require multiple people encourage communication, forcing children to negotiate, share, take turns, and make requests boosting their language and also social skills.
Toys like building blocks and board games encourage children to work together toward a common goal, teaching them to share, take turns, and follow rules while dolls and action figures allow children to act out social scenarios, boosting perspective-taking, emotional regulation, and understanding social norms. They also learn a lot socially through informal learning for example spending time with other kids and building emotional connections with them. Replacing these face-to-face interactions with screen time, also impedes them from learning crucial non-verbal cues like body language, eye contact, and tone of voice. Digital communication, such as texting or social media, lacks the emotional depth and cues present in face-to-face interactions, affecting a child’s ability to interpret emotions. Parents should also try to stop their kids from building a dependence on phones for interaction because they might feel anxious or ill-equipped handling social situations later in life.
Furthermore, spending a lot of time in front of screens can have many negative impacts on children’s health that wouldn’t occur if they played with toys. Screens are, over a longer time, very harmful for the eyes and can cause people to have trouble sleeping, especially when used shortly before bedtime.
On the other hand, digital tools can also help children learn. Educational apps, learning platforms, and videos can be very beneficial for their education and prepare them for the future, where technology is most likely to be a big part of our everyday lives. However, these tools are still only helpful when combined with real-world play with toys. Therefore, it is vital for parents to set certain time limits for their kids and regulate their screen use.
All in all, they should make sure that their children still have toys to play with. Balance is key.
When Toys Unite Regardless of Gender
At a recent vintage toys exhibition in Thessaloniki, one thing became clear very quickly which I would not have thought. The world of toys is far less divided by gender than many people, me included, assume. Although such events are often imagined as male-dominated spaces filled with model tanks, soldiers, and other stereotypically “boys’ toys,” the reality felt much more balanced. Many women attended and participated, some were just visitors and some were collectors or sellers. The exhibition was not about gender but more about the collective nostalgia of toys which people had in their childhood.
It also showed how complex the idea of gender-based toys really is. There were booths, for example, displaying vintage Barbies and old western-themed Playmobil sets, along with remote-controlled cars, arcade games, and collectable posters. Handmade fan art, wooden crafts, or 3D-printed fidget toys were also on sale. Instead of a strict division between “for boys” and “for girls,” the variety suggested that toys become meaningful through personal memories and especially just the interests rather than gender labels.
Gender-based marketing in toys has long influenced how children see themselves and their possibilities. Stereotypical female toys like dolls have often been associated with caregiving and beauty. While toys stereotypically aimed at boys like construction sets, and action figures have been framed as adventurous and technical. When children play with only one type of toy repeatedly, they may internalise subtle messages about which roles, skills, or even careers are “appropriate” for them. Over time, this can shape a child and continues forming their life also in adulthood, as it influences educational choices, confidence levels, and even professional paths.
However, these boundaries are not fixed, as you can see in events such as the Vintage Toys Exhibition. Women enthusiastically browsing collectable figures, men appreciating vintage dolls, and families enjoying arcade games together challenge old stereotypes. Even the magic show was interesting for children of all genders who were equally entertained. Experiences like these, where everyone is together for one cause, can weaken expectations of parents or even society and encourage a broader understanding of identity and interests especially when visiting with your children.
Ultimately, the presence of diverse visitors and the wide range of toys on display suggest that society may be moving toward a more inclusive view of play. When toys are seen less as gender-specific playthings and more as sources of joy, they can foster creativity, nostalgia, and connection across generations. In that sense, parents please let your child explore their own interests and identity regardless of gender or societal norms.
