toys are a great way to kickstart your child s imagination and play different toys can be used to support your child s development the best toys for children are open ended these toys spark your child s imagination creativity and problem solving skills these are the toys that your child can use in lots of different ways they encourage your child to use imagination creativity and problem solving skills open ended toys include 1 blocks your child can use blocks for stacking and building make believe and much more fun playing 2 balls they are great to bounce look at roll hold and throw your baby will be intrigued by everything a ball can do 3 cardboard boxes your child s imagination woll go wild with these they can pretend these are shop counters ovens cars boats dollhouses and more 4 dress ups well of course with some hand me down clothes and bits of fabric your child can become anything or anyone 5 crafty bits and pieces children can get creative with coloured paper stickers crayons and washable markers children like getting their hands dirty give them that luxury 6 collections make your child collect buttons beads or coins and sort by colour pattern size or shape your child will feel smart and all grown up by doing this simple activity use everyday household items as open ended toys for your child s development and imagination make use of pots and pans plastic containers pegs clothes baskets and blankets often make great just make sure that any household items your child plays with are safe to avoid choking risks sharp edges and other hazards choose toys based on your child s age interests and stage of development