Jean Piaget was a Swiss biologist who developed a four-stage theory to explain child development. In the first stage, children learn to differentiate themselves from objects and they are agents of action. During the second stage, children begin to use language, but still think egocentrically. By the third stage, children can think logically about objects and events. The fourth and final stage is abstract thinking.
Toys can have a place in Piaget's theory of development. During the first stage of development, children need objects around them to be able to distinguish that they are not objects. Also, a toy with movable parts or one that makes noise can show children that their actions can influence their surroundings. In the second stage, toys which teach language will help the child improve his verbal skills. Toys which teach how to put objects in sequence will help children learn how to use logic.
Lawrence Kohlberg, an American psychologist, studied human moral development. Kohlberg claimed that moral development was a lifelong process. Children begin at the earliest stage, called the pre-conventional stage. During this period, children will do things based on consequences to themselves. If an action has positive consequences, they will do it, and if it has negative consequences they won't. The next stage in moral development is the conventional moral stage. Actions are not based on consequences to the individual, but rather on the effect on community and personal relationships.
A moral and ethical education must begin at a young age. Toys can be an important tool in teaching a child the difference between right and wrong. Sharing toys shows children the value of cooperation. Additionally, children learn to respect other people's property by playing gently with other children's playthings. Moreover, knowing that an item belongs to someone else and that he cannot take it for himself without permission will teach a child not to steal.
Urie Bronfenbrenner was a Russian-American psychologist who formulated a development theory not based on stages. Instead, Bronfenbrenner postulated a theory that children are affected by their environment. The micro-system is the most immediate environment, made up of the child's caregivers and peers. How the actors in the micro-system treat the child will affect the child's development, and in turn, how the child treats the other actors will affect how they treat him. A nurturing environment, therefore, has a positive effect on the child.
Caregivers can use toys as a tool to nurture and enhance a child's development. Children and caregivers can play together, fostering a strong, loving relationship. Also, children can play with toys together, which can help them learn how to interact with other people. Toys themselves can also teach nurturing. For example, giving a baby doll to a child can be a good way to show the child how to take care of another person.