Psychology

Toy Assignment

For this assignment I am focusing on a toy that relates to the toddler age group. Toddlers become better able to use their senses thoughtfully and strategically to gather the information most relevant to a task at hand. I decided to pick this age group because I am a babysitter for two girls that fall under this age group and their parents are educators at Texas A&M University which lead me to assume that the games they buy for their daughters will help them develop their perceptual and cognitive skills. While observing the girls and the games they like to play with, I decided to write about the card game called: Spot It! They are circular cards with a variety of pictures on each card. No two cards are exactly same, however there is only one matching pictures between any two cards. All you have to do is find the match before the other player(s).

Spot It is a fast-paced game that develops matching skills, and it also quickens perceptual abilities. This game challenges visual perception skills. It requires accurate visual scanning of the pictures on each card. It also demands good matching, visual memory and visual discrimination skills in order to locate a match. It helps them be able to recognize and identify the matching picture, even though they may not be the same size or in the same position, visual form constancy.

A reason parents should introduce this game to their children is because it is a fun and fast game because it requires quick reflexes and a sharp eye. The game is challenging without being impossible for toddlers to play. Another reason is that there are five ways to play the game. If the child begins to become uninterested, there are other options using the same cards, this will feel like they are playing a different experience and it will still develop their cognitive and perceptual skills. Lastly, it keeps all the players engaged. If a child becomes impatient quickly, this is a perfect game for them to play because there...