Stuffed animals are inseparable companions of the youngest children, being of great importance for their emotional and cognitive development. But why do they like them so much? What benefits do stuffed animals have?
4 Benefits of stuffed animals for children
How do cute plushies help in the life of a child? From providing emotional benefits to promoting their psychological and cognitive development, the advantages of our sons and daughters playing with stuffed animals are many and varied. Here are some of the most important:
1. Reduces stress and anxiety levels
Having a long cat plush can help the little ones in the house to reduce their levels of stress and nervousness caused by some vital circumstance or personal condition (starting or changing school, fear of the dark, shyness or insecurity, anxiety due to separation from parents when they go to work, a new situation, a divorce or family separation, a visit to the pediatrician, the illness or death of their pet or the absence of a loved one, etc.) In any case, keeping your favorite giant stuffed animals reduces the anxiety levels of the little one, giving him a feeling of comfort, peace, and security.
Stuffed animals are soft and pleasant, they have a friendly aesthetic (generally that of a nice animal) and their soft touch has the power to regulate blood pressure, provide calm and stimulate the production of endorphins. Specifically, the one known as the happiness hormone.
2. They help them express their feelings
Playing with stuffed animals helps the little ones to accept and understand the most complex emotions through interaction and symbolic play with them.
This activity allows them to talk or transfer their worries, emotions, and feelings to the stuffed animal, thus opening up new channels of communication at ages when it is difficult for them to understand and express everything they feel. Thus, in a playful, natural, and relaxed way, children can express annoyance, fear, affection, tiredness, anger, anxiety, worry, happiness, etc. through playing with stuffed animals.
3. Sleep with stuffed animals
Many families wonder if it is good to sleep with stuffed animals when they see that there is no way their little ones will get into bed without them. And it is that stuffed animals are infallible at bedtime, at which time they become inseparable companions that help boys and girls to fall asleep peacefully. Cuddled with their favorite stuffed animal, the little ones feel much safer!
Here the recommendation is to be careful with the age at which we offer stuffed animals to our sons and daughters because putting stuffed animals in the baby’s crib is dangerous and is discouraged as it increases the probability of suffocation during sleep.
4. Playing with stuffed animals facilitates the development of social skills
Stuffed animals help girls and boys to increase their self-confidence, the basis for developing and showing their emotions, and fostering their first social bodies through play. This type of toy especially helps lay the foundation for fundamental social skills.
Young children practice social skills through pretend play with other children, which is extremely important for their social development. Likewise, participating in cooperative activities with other children or with their parents or siblings reinforces their social skills.