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Shape sorter toys are the classic favorite toys for toddlers. They are challenging and fun too. These toys are quite simple and have holes of different shapes and pieces of different shapes that fit correctly into their respective holes. All kids have to do is to categorize these pieces according to their shapes and fit them into their respective holes. This helps the kid to learn the difference between different shapes by contrast and learn their names.
Usually, kids about 15 to 18 months of age are able to sort these shapes using their problem-solving skills and the hand-eye coordination and at around two years of age, they learn the names of the shapes. Pieces and holes of these shape sorter toys may be of different colors and help the kids to learn the names of the colors too such as red circle or green square. You may start with delicious eatables that are easy to sort into piles such as cornflakes, bagels and crackers before graduating to blocks or more complicated food container lids of different shapes and sizes.
Saying out the names of shapes and colors aloud as children sort out the toys can help them to learn faster. You will have to teach the child in the beginning on how to pick up a piece and fit it into the hole and slowly, they will learn to do it themselves. Shape sorter toys also teach the kids the concept of cause and effect, i.e., putting a piece in its right hole will cause it to fit, otherwise not; and object permanence, i.e., a piece that falls in the hole is not lost but is there below the board.