Go Caterpillar is a toy designed for toddlers aged from 9 months to approximately three years. The toy is not gender-specific, so it is equally suitable for girls and boys. It is shaped like a small caterpillar that has four wheels filled with rainbow beads (see Appendix). The child can press the toy in the middle, and it will move on its own. Go Caterpillar is colorful and has letters A, B, and C on one of its sides and digits 1, 2, and 3 on the other side. The manufacturer claims that “chasing after Go-Go builds early locomotion skills, from crawling to running” (Discovery Toys, 2019, p. 14). The toy also changes its travel distance depending on the pressure applied by the child.
Go Caterpillar contributes to the toddler’s cognitive development as it was proposed by psychologist Piaget. Piaget distinguished four stages of human lifespan development: sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational (Lally & Valentine-French, 2017). This particular toy influences the sensorimotor stage of development, which usually lasts from birth to 2 years. During this stage, the child gains experiences about the world by means of fundamental senses, such as seeing and hearing. The child also acquires object permanence, that is, memory or understanding that the object still exists even if it is out of sight (Brubaker, 2016). Go Caterpillar stimulates the infant’s fundamental senses by allowing for touching the toy, seeing its shape and colors, and hearing the rattling sounds during the movement. Furthermore, it contributes to the development of memory and understanding of the cause-and-effect relationship because it makes the child memorize what will happen after he or she presses the toy.
This toy also fosters the child’s cognitive development by encouraging the interaction between parents and the toddler. Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory regards the infant’s cognitive development as being dependent on social interactions and culture and facilitated by adults’ assistance (Lally & Valentine-French, 2017). Go Caterpillar provides room for communication between parents and the child since adults will probably have to explain to the child how to make the toy move. Moreover, caregivers can further enhance the infant’s cognitive development by paying attention to the letters and digits depicted on the toy, as well as various colors that can be found there.
Go Caterpillar fosters the child’s physical development as well. As stated by the manufacturer, the toy improves the toddler’s gross motor skills, mainly those involved in crawling, running, grasping, and pushing the toy. If one observes how toddlers play with toys that have wheels, such as cars or the described Go Go Caterpillar, one can notice that sometimes, children turn over the toy and rotate its wheels with their fingers. If the toy is used in this way, it develops the child’s fine motor skills because it involves small muscles.
The toy also allows for psychosocial development if the child is playing with parents or peers. Parents’ involvement in the child’s play establishes a sense of trust, which is crucial for the psychosocial development of the toddler and his or her further transformation into a mentally healthy adult (Lally & Valentine-French, 2017). Go Caterpillar can be used for shared play among several children, who can roll the toy to each other. In this case, caregivers can help children assimilate their peers into their existing schemata, thus addressing such a problem as stranger anxiety (Lally & Valentine-French, 2017). Therefore, this toy provides a good opportunity for fostering social interactions and children’s psychosocial development.
In conclusion, a modification to improve the toy may be recommended. It is suggested that Go-Go Caterpillar be equipped with a mechanism that would say some phrases after the child presses it. Since toddlers experience the world through their fundamental senses, this modification would stimulate the child’s hearing, thus enhancing cognitive development. Furthermore, the repeated hearing of phrases will help the child to become familiar with the language faster, which is likely to facilitate the child’s acquiring language skills.
References
Brubaker, J. (2016). Cognitive development theory. Encyclopedia of Family Studies, 1-5. Web.
Discovery Toys. (2019). Discovery Toys catalog 2019-2020 (US). Issuu. Web.
Lally, M., & Valentine-French, S. (2017). Lifespan development: A psychological perspective. College of Lake County.