It’s the hard truth you never wanted to hear, the dirty little secret you’ve known in your heart your entire life. Yes, there is such a thing as too many toys.
A new study published in volume 50 of Infant Behavior and Development, a scientific journal based out of the University of Toledo, has linked an abundance of stimuli to a reduced “quality of play”.
The study was conducted on toddlers, to be fair. But that doesn’t mean we can’t learn any life lessons.
How many musical toys are too many? If we can learn anything from these set of groundbreaking toddlers, it’s that less really is more.
The study provided a set of 36 toddlers with two environments; four items and sixteen items to play with. The findings were as follows:
- An abundance of toys present reduced quality of toddlers’ play.
- Fewer toys at once may help toddlers to focus better and play more creatively.
- This can done in many settings to support development and promote healthy play.
If you’ve ever felt spoiled by the sheer volume of gear stacked up in your studio, consider limiting yourself. Like these especially intuitive toddlers, you may feel like you’re finally engaging in some healthier play.
Via Science Direct.
