Designing a Toy Mini Project

Developmental psychologists view play as the major means through which physical, cognitive, and social-skills are mastered – especially during the preschool years. Your task is to design a toy suitable for a 6 month to ten year old child (you choose the age), keeping in mind the physical, cognitive, and social needs of preschool children. Consider where the child is along Piaget’s stages, language development, Freud’s psychosexual stages, and Erikson’s psychosocial stages. Design/draw a prototype of your toy and then answer the following questions. This mini-project is due on Friday, October 8 and is worth one quiz grade.

  1. What is the name of your toy?
  1. How does the child play with it or use it?
  1. How old is the child for whom the toy is intended? What features of the toy make it developmentally appropriate?
  1. What domain or domains of development(choose at least 2: language, cognition, social, motor skills, etc.) is your toy designed to stimulate? How are they stimulated?
  1. What are some specific features of the toy (for example, size, shape, color, noise-making properties, etc.) that enhance its attractiveness and play value?
  1. What considerations should be given to injury control when the toy is used?

Designing a Toy Mini Project

Developmental psychologists view play as the major means through which physical, cognitive, and social-skills are mastered – especially during the preschool years. Your task is to design a toy suitable for a 6 month to ten year old child (you choose the age), keeping in mind the physical, cognitive, and social needs of preschool children. Consider where the child is along Piaget’s stages, language development, Freud’s psychosexual stages, and Erikson’s psychosocial stages. Design/draw a prototype of your toy and then answer the following questions. This mini-project is due on Friday, October 8 and is worth one quiz grade.

  1. What is the name of your toy?
  1. How does the child play with it or use it?
  1. How old is the child for whom the toy is intended? What features of the toy make it developmentally appropriate?
  1. What domain or domains of development (choose at least 2: language, cognition, social, motor skills, etc.) is your toy designed to stimulate? How are they stimulated?
  1. What are some specific features of the toy (for example, size, shape, color, noise-making properties, etc.) that enhance its attractiveness and play value?
  1. What considerations should be given to injury control when the toy is used?