Examination Excessive toys have a negative effect on children

Children with a lot of toys are less creative and more distracted

Sometimes less is more! This also applies to the toys of children. Many parents have probably already intuitively anticipated the results of a recent study: If children have too many toys, the quality of play suffers, those affected are more distracted and less creative.

Researchers at the University of Toledo, Ohio, found in their study that children who own toys are more easily distracted and suffer from creativity and quality of play. The physicians published the results of their study in the journal "Infant Behavior and Development".

When small children have a lot of toys, the quality of the game suffers. In addition, affected children are less creative and distracted faster. (Image: Kristin Gründler / fotolia.com)

Children are more creative when they have less toys available

For their study, the researchers recruited a total of 36 toddlers. These played for half an hour either in a room with four toys or in a room with sixteen toys. The experts found that the children were much more creative if they had fewer toys available. These children also played twice as long with the toys. They thought of several uses for each toy, which extended and expanded their game.

Experts are investigating if the number of toys affects game quality

The current study tried to find out if the number of toys in the environment of toddlers influences the quality of their play. Carly Dauch. The study's researchers concluded from the observed findings that parents, schools and kindergartens should pack away most of their toys. Only a small number of toys should be used regularly to encourage children to be more creative and to increase their attention span, experts suggest.

Too many toys affect the duration of the game and the game depth

The higher number of games with 16 different toys seemed to affect the duration and game depth, the researchers say. Other existing toys may have caused an external distraction in their view.

A wealth of toys creates a very strong distraction

During infancy, our offspring continues to evolve. Despite this development, children initially have little control over their attention at a higher level. Existing attention and gambling can be disturbed by factors in their environment that cause distraction, the scientists speculate. The current study indicates that a plethora of toys can provoke such a distraction.

A typical child owns 238 toys

If infants are equipped with fewer toys in the area, they can play with a single toy for a longer time. As a result, they can better explore and play their creativity. In Britain alone, people spend more than £ 3 billion a year on toys. Surveys have also revealed that a typical child has a total of 238 toys. Parents usually assume that children play only with their 12 favorite toys.

How does it work if children have fewer toys in kindergarten??

There have been many research findings in research that indicate that too many toys can distract children. Already in the 1990s, the German researchers Elke Schubert and Rainer Strick conducted experiments in which toys were removed from a kindergarten for three months. After only a few weeks, the children had adapted to their situation and, as it were, recruited. As a result, their game became much more creative and social interaction improved.

Less is more

Fewer toys are better for kids, boost creativity, increase attention span, and help young people learn to manage their possessions. A child will hardly learn to appreciate a toy when there are innumerable other options for games on the shelf next to it, the experts say. If children generally have too many toys, they care less about them, scientists continue. The affected children can not learn to appreciate their toys properly, if replacement is always at hand. In other words, fewer toys make children more creative because they solve problems with existing materials and create new playing opportunities. The resulting ingenuity is a gift with unlimited possibilities, the researchers add. (As)