Parenting sure is a blessing. To be able to see your bundle of joy get bigger every day, surprising you with achievements, in the likes of learning how to speak, and making those first steps, is worth all the lack of sleep.

It’s not always rainbows and butterflies, of course, because most of the time it’s challenging which is why we, as parents, grow together with our children – by learning how to teach them properly. This includes highly valuating play and finding the adequate games to encourage proper development of motor and problem-solving skills like the locks and latches activity board types.

The engaging and fun concept these boards are based on, accompanied by lively colours, animals, and numbers, are attractive for children, inviting them to try out latches, then move on to playing with locks to discover what the inside hides which is how they learn solving a problem gives a certain result. This way they build hand-eye coordination, and fine and gross motor skills as well, learning the different colours, animals, shapes, and numbers.

Then again, toys like these teach us parents how to be patient too, and why it’s important not to help our children out thinking it’s the way to faster success (yet, we only slow them down this way), but instead let them explore, experiment, and think creatively alone, ending up succeeding on their own, in their own pace. You know what is said: Practice makes perfect!

Similar games, and toys include puzzles, memory games, mazes, blocks, and books with hidden pictures, so you’ve got plenty to choose from. Since we can’t exclude one specific skill without affecting the impact of another skill, as they’re all connected for the optimal child development, both physical and mental, a play is equally important for infants and toddlers, as much as for school kids.

The development of problem-solving, as a crucial cognitive skill, positively affects the planning behaviour, and when being left to master problems on their own, kids also undergo proper development of social and emotional skills too. Let’s not forget there’s a positive impact on the enhancement of a child’s memory at that.

We can’t deny the influence of technology on our lifestyles, and choices, because most of us have electronics around – more than one per person. Speaking of this, it’s needless to say we’re inclined to let our children use them, thinking it’s better for their development altogether.

However, more and more studies show the use of electronics is far from beneficial for children, as it slows down the developmental process, along with causing other counter-effects, so it’s important as parents to drop the screens, and pile up on toys like the lock and latch boards, and puzzles.