2024-01-05 10:43:59
During this Christmas season, when we consider gift ideas for children and adults, the ophthalmologists at the Baviera Clinic recommend a series of toys that stimulate children’s vision in addition to being educational and fun.
Children usually show their manual preference from a young age. EFE/Daniel Pérez
Among all the options and ideas to give to children, there is a wide variety of toys that can help the development of children’s vision and the improvement of their visual skills.
Therefore, the Dr. Pilar Merino, specialist in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Bavaria Clinic explains why it is important to promote the development of children’s vision and offers us some tips to take into account to stimulate the visual system of children depending on their age and the phases of vision development.
The importance of children’s visual development
The vision of children when they are born is determined, on the one hand, by genetic factors that we cannot change.
However, it is also determined by active phenomena, which is what Dr. Pilar Merino calls visual experience.
Environmental factors such as lighting, colors, etc. come into play in the visual experience. Given these active phenomena, it is interesting that we contribute to the visual development of children.
“In the face of genetic factors, we cannot act, but we can act a little on the environmental factors and contribute to these children having better visual development, and even having the least myopia possible within the environmental causes,” explains the ophthalmologist. .
Stimulate children’s vision at different stages of development
During the first three months
It must be taken into account that newborns have 5% of the visual capacity that an adult can have, so they may have difficulty perceiving the objects and people around them since they do not see beyond 20 to 30 cm. away.
Experts recommend in this first stage playing with contrasting black and white images with geometric shapes. Little by little and progressively introduce more colors that are striking and encourage eye movement.
Additionally, especially for the initial stages, it will be important to avoid toys that contain pointed or sharp parts.
From the third month
From the third month onwards, babies begin to develop hand-eye coordination, the tracking reflex and have a slightly clearer vision, so for example it is interesting to have them play with the usual gyms that have hanging toys for them to exercise. the sight trying to catch them.
From six to 12 months
It is from this age when binocular and color vision stabilizes, the baby is already able to control the direction of his gaze and the movement of his hands.
This is how he begins to play with stacking cubes, toys with which he recognizes geometric shapes or that produce sounds when touched. In addition, efforts will be made to place them at certain distances so that they have to travel to them.
Doctor Pilar Merino. Image provided by Clínica Baviera.
Between one and 3 years
It’s good Stimulate the child’s vision with the use of books adapted to their age. In addition, this is when they begin to distinguish shapes and sizes, which is why figure and block toys are ideal for working on hand-eye coordination and focus by placing them at certain distances.
In addition, it is important that when they begin to walk, adults encourage outdoor games with children.
From three years old
When school begins, the child’s visual development experiences a great leap, as this is when they begin reading and writing and visual skills are enhanced. It is important that parents read with them at first so that they can learn to read by moving their eyes from left to right.
As for toys The child can play with puzzles that will promote the development of their perception and visual memory. It must also be taken into account in these stages that it is important to play with children to be able to identify possible problems in distinguishing colors or picking up certain objects because they do not see well, if they miscalculate distances or if their field of vision is limited. .
If any anomaly is detected It is important to take the child to the specialist to have an ophthalmological examination.
From six years
From this stage the development of the visual system is completed. It is necessary that at these ages special attention be paid to games that involve close vision to limit time. In this sense, it is important to monitor the use of screens and video games.
Be careful with the screens:
The screens that today include numerous toys and those of devices such as telephones or computers, can also have positive effects on the development of the vision of the little ones in the house, such as improving sensitivity to contrast of tones. and luminosity, or the development of spatial memory.
ButGiven the abundance of them and the misuse that can be made, ophthalmologists recommend set some limits. In this sense, most scientific societies of pediatric ophthalmology recommend:
Put the 20-20-20 rule into practice: take 20-second breaks every 20 minutes by looking at an object 6 meters (20 feet) away or at infinity. Apply the 30-40-50 rule: maintain this distance (in centimeters) from the mobile phone, tablet and computers respectively.
Other recommendations from experts to take care of your vision in front of screens:
Avoid the use of screens in children under 2 years of age. Between 3-5 years, do not use them more than 1 hour/day.
In the over 6 yearsestablish exposure limits.
Do not use the devices two hours before bedtime. Don’t let the screens be the only light source, use them with other ambient light. Experts recommend avoiding the use of screens in children under 2 years of age. EFE/ Luis Tejido
Healthy habits that promote eye care
Maximize outdoor activity for at least two hours a day. Dr. Merino affirms that in some schools they are already developing practices and schedules that allow two hours of recess where they can rest their vision in the open air.
Take care of the light used during playing hours at home especially with screens, preventing them from being used in the dark.
Promote distance vision also when the mind and eyes They are concentrated on the notes or the paper.
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