Sorter - one of the most popular educational toys for babies, which should be in every home, and yet even such a useful and versatile thing can be found negative reviews. However, this is due not so much to the poor performance of the sorters in general, but to the wrong choice of model. In order for the purchased gift to really charm the child and benefit him, you should understand in more detail what it is and how to choose it.
Features and Benefits
The first sorters were invented a very long time ago, more than a hundred years ago, and since then have become a fundamentally important element in the development of children in the early stages. The essence of the toy is to classify objects according to a certain characteristic - most often by shape and size, which, for greater clarity, can be highlighted with different colors. In this way, the sorters are somewhat similar to the classic pyramids and nesting dolls, however, the radical difference is that the pyramid can be assembled in any order, collecting nesting dolls does not require the inclusion of all elements, and only the sorter implies only one assembly scenario - the correct one.
In other words, if there is a figure that needs to be inserted into a hole of a similar shape, then it simply will not fit into any other hole, just as the slot intended for it cannot be filled with any other figure. Of course, there are also such sorters where this rule is not strictly observed, however, they are considered to be incomplete.
Initially, all sorters were made of wood, but in the 30s of the XX century the company Fisher price started the serial production of this plastic toy, and today most of the assortment is made of this material.
A plastic product is much cheaper, but in the context of the general demand for a natural product in recent years, parents are increasingly interested in wood sorter.
If we talk about the specific advantages of the sorter as an educational toy, then the following points need to be highlighted:
- For adults, the task offered by the sorter seems extremely simple and even boring, however, this toy is usually given to tiny toddlers who have little or no understanding of the laws of the world around them. With the help of a sorter, they learn to distinguish between the same and different objects, as well as to determine by eye the correctness or incorrectness, compatibility or incompatibility of certain combinations of parts. Elementary concepts of color and shape, as well as quantity, are formed, skills in analysis, comparison and classification are developed. It turns out that a primitive, at first glance, task greatly contributes to the development of thinking.
- A kid owns his own hands much worse than even a preschooler, therefore, such exercises are very useful for the development of fine motor skills of the hands and general coordination of movements. A separate, as it were, a side effect of muscle development is improved speech articulation, since a difficult task stimulates the child's mental activity and pushes him to try to discuss with the elders the problem he is solving.
- The sorter helps to improve a number of psychological aspects, among which attentiveness and the ability to concentrate for a long time on one thing that requires immobility are especially distinguished. Among other things, diligence is developed - children quickly understand that the task is not so insurmountable, so they struggle to reach the victorious end without outside help. Achieving a successful result, by the way, has a positive effect on self-esteem and mood, and these factors are important even at one or two years of age.
- Among other things, the sorter is practical and safe in one body. The practicality lies in the fact that the child seems to be just playing, but in fact acquires a lot of useful knowledge and skills that will definitely come in handy in life. The safety lies in the fact that often children's attempts to learn about the world around them turn out to be dangerous, first of all, for the children themselves, while this developmental toy carries away, but does not harm even theoretically.
- Figures from the sorter can be used for other game purposes - for example, as shaped molds for sand or stencils for painting.
An important advantage of the sorters is also the complete absence of disadvantages. Some models, however, still sin a little, however, then it is no longer just a bad sorter, and not a sorter at all.
Models
Although the operating principle of the sorter is very simple, the variety of existing models is very large, such a wide assortment is simply caused not by the difference in the mechanism, but by the breadth of the design thought. The pyramid is perceived by many as a kind of sorter, which is not entirely true, but a real sorter is not necessarily a classic cube either. To fully interest the child, you need to give the product the most toy look, so its body can look like a labyrinth, circus, house or train. Very complex designs are also produced, for example, a gurney combined with a sorter, a kind of sorter on wheels. The pinnacle of complexity and variety is a sorting table that can really keep your baby busy for several hours.
However, the sorters also differ according to the principle of operation - according to this indicator, they are conditionally divided into models, the details of which are pushed in or put on from above. In the first case, the figures are inserted into the base, equipped with slots of the corresponding shape, while in the second case, the same figures, on the contrary, are put on special pins. The first type is a priori more diverse, since it allows for variability in terms of the shape of the base and figures, a different number of holes, "bonuses" in the form of a hammer for hammering or a cord for pulling, and even light and noise effects.
"Dress-ups" are not so versatile, they are classified only according to the shape of the base, the method of putting on - simple or with a scroll, and also according to the principle of how a special place for each figure is determined - with curly pins or their very number.
At the same time, sorters for older children can also have a more serious educational function - for example, a clock in which numbers must be inserted, or an alphabet board that allows you to learn the alphabet in a playful way and even make up words.
Nevertheless, the term of use of the sorter is rather strictly limited - after four years, children are no longer interested in such entertainment.
Popular brands
Taught by the bitter experience of buying Chinese goods, our compatriots know that even an elementary product can be made awry, so they try to choose only branded sorters, especially if they want a product made from natural materials. Let's consider the most popular models:
- In this context, pay attention, for example, to the products of the company Hapewhich has been making bamboo toys and selected plastic components for over thirty years. Now the main production of the company is located just in China, but its roots are German, and imports to about 50 countries of the world are able to say everything about quality.
- In terms of the scale of success, the company is similar to the one described above and Ks Kids, only here the development took place even more rapidly - in just a couple of decades, the company's products entered the markets of about 60 countries of the world. The main positive feature of the brand is the creation of a large number of local offices in the countries of sale, which is very convenient for the consumer. The assortment, by the way, is far from limited to wooden toys - there is literally everything a kid could want.
- In this context, the company looks very modest Plan toys with its four offices in the USA, Belgium, Japan and Thailand, but even this company has such wooden sorters that the manufacturer should not be ashamed of them.
Tips for choosing
An unsuccessful choice of a sorter is usually due to the fact that the toy does not correspond to the age of its small owner, therefore on the choice depending on age and dwell on:
- For children under one year old usually choose soft textile sorters, which cannot be injured, with parts of at least 5 cm (so as not to be swallowed), durable and suitable for periodic washing. Soft parts can be crumpled and inserted arbitrarily, which slightly violates the principle of the sorter, but at this age it is not critical. Add-ons in the form of mirrors and rustlers are welcome.
- After a year the kid begins to understand the principle of the sorter and put figures in a targeted manner, now he can be given almost any variety of this toy. Do not forget that the term of use is limited to four years of age.
The sorter should not be a puzzle for the child, otherwise it will be simply abandoned. The task should be difficult, but solved at the level of the baby, the figures should be easy to enter and remove back.
In the next video, you will see a presentation of the Geometric Shapes puzzle toy.
