2012
We can agree that all children are different and develop differently as well. Some children may grow and learn with the help of books, while others like toys. Generally, it has been discovered that toys, especially smart toys that can reciprocate in some or the other way, such as sounds, colors, and movement help children develop cognitive & motor skills.
Playing is a vital part in a childs development phase as it helps them learn, grow and connect to the world emotionally. Leave alone the fun and joy a child gets out of running around chasing a ball or shouting alongside a robotic dog, its the several other benefits that playing provides that all parents should focus upon while choosing the toys for their kids. Creativity, power of imagination, speech & reading and many other aspects that are associated with playing that should be kept in mind while picking up smart toys for children.
Find out if the speed at which your child is growing mentally, for an example, if he gets bored of a game after playing for one or two times, chances are that he has learned everything that he could from that game and its time to move on to something new.
Also, keep in mind the age of your child while selecting any kind of smart toy as the graph should always be showing the growth pattern. For infants and toddlers, toys that make sounds, can change different colors would be the best choice. When they grow up a little, toy that would help them with a little physical exercise can be considered such as musical prams and similar toys.
As the children grow older, the toys also change and become more of recreational item; however, you must keep a watch on what they are playing even if it is on video game consoles as it directly affects the childs actions in real life.