“Children don’t need toys that do everything for them, they need us”

However, we live in a time where it seems the main goal is to keep children “out of trouble.” This is how he sees it Judit Escudé, general director of Eurekakids, who regrets that screens are used as a shortcut, as if entertaining was enough. “But entertaining is not educating – he specifies -. And of course, It’s not the same as looking at a screen. You have to discover the world with your hands, your senses and your imagination. Play – real play, play that requires moving, exploring, inventing or making mistakes – is an extraordinary vehicle for learning. And, fortunately, it remains one of the few activities in life where making mistakes is not only allowedbut it is an essential part of the process.

It ensures that every time a child plays, something very powerful is happening. For example, when you build a tower, you learn mathematics; geometry when assembling parts; physics when you see a ball falling and notice it rolls faster down the hill. The game turns children into tireless explorers, spontaneous scientists who experiment every minute.

“And the best: no instructions are needed -said Escudé-. Their natural curiosity guides them. This is why he considers unstructured play – that which does not have a “correct way” to play, which does not dictate strict rules or expected outcomes – to be so valuable. The freedom to invent how to use an object, give a thousand different lives to the same toy, build a house today and a dragon tomorrow, fuels creativity in a way that no textbook can match.

Furthermore, “in free play, children learn something we all need in adult life: manage frustration. When a tower collapses, when a piece doesn’t fit, when someone else wins… that’s when emotional learning begins. Children discover that they can start again, that they can improve, that they can wait their turn. And all this without speeches, theories and complicated educational systems. “Just play.”

It appears that the game invites children to try again without discouragement if they have failed. We adults tend to fear mistakes; The children, for their part, experience it as part of the trip. If the tower falls ten times, they rebuild it eleven times. And also proud.

This expert considers that toys They should not replace imagination of the child, but to accompany him. “They should not decide for him, but rather offer him possibilities. A good toy is one that opens doors, not closes them. The one that invites us to do, to try, to think, to touch, to experience. This is why I defend toys that stimulate the senses, especially in the first years of life: touch with natural materials, sight with clear colors and shapes, hearing with sounds that awaken curiosity and the mind with challenges adapted to each stage. A toy should be both simple and rich, easy to understand, but full of opportunities. It is not necessary to speak, to enlighten oneself or to do a thousand things; “Sometimes the most educational is the simplest.”

Another positive feature that emerges from educational toys is that they help cultivate this natural resilience. They offer small difficulties, challenges that can be overcome with practice, patience and a smile. They teach that failure is not an end, but a sign that they are learning. “There is no better generator of creativity than play. A piece of fabric makes a superhero cape, a tent or a picnic blanket depending on the day. A handful of blocks can be transformed into a castle, a rocket, or a colorful snake. The children They don’t need big speeches on innovation: they are pure innovation, and the game is their laboratory.

It is for this reason that it guarantees that one of our greater responsibilities is to offer toys that respect this creativity, which do not replace it with prefabricated solutions. Each child must find a space in play to express themselves without fear, imagine their own world and discover that they have the capacity to transform what surrounds them.

He explains that in the first years of life, contact with natural materials is particularly important. Wood, bamboo, cork, wool… all transmit authentic feelings which connect the child to nature. He points out that its texture, smell, weight and warmth not only stimulate the sense of touch, but also help create an emotional connection with the environment. “A wooden toy is not only durable, but it ages with the child, keeps traces of their adventures and becomes a little souvenir of their own history. These are objects that accompany, not that go out of fashion. And it also educates. And gaming doesn’t just teach concepts or skills; Also learn to live together. Playing with other children or with your own parents creates strong bonds, quality moments that are difficult to forget. Sharing toys, inventing together, negotiating rules or tricks… it’s all part of social learning.

Judit Escudé invites you to think because she says that children don’t need toys that do everything for them. “They need us. They need our timeour humor, our desire to let ourselves be carried away for a moment by their world. Sometimes, in the midst of a busy life, we forget that half an hour of shared play is better than several hours of passive distraction. If I’ve discovered anything over all these years, it’s that learning doesn’t have to be serious or complicated. It can be fun, surprising and even a little chaotic. In fact, this is usually the case. Play is the most powerful tool for children to naturally develop their cognitive, emotional and social skills. And, as adults, the best gift we can give them is not to hinder them, but to accompany them. Offer them toys that respect their rhythm, their imagination and their desire to explore. Allow them to make mistakeslet them invent, let them get dirty, let them try. Let them learn. Because what seems “just a game” today will be the basis of how you think, interact and face life tomorrow. And that, honestly, is much more important than we think.