Children love surprises and gifts. They eagerly wait for their birthdays and other occasions and festivals like Christmas, New Year, Holi, Dussehra, and Diwali. Apart from being holidays, these occasions also let the young ones receive lots of gifts. 

Nowadays, elders do not gift random showpieces or other items that would be of no use to the children. The approach has become scientific and practical. Children receive such gifts that can be of benefit to them. Many of these toys or playboards help children think out of the box and development of their brain.

It can be said that the modern-day gifts for children back the Cognitive Theory of Jean Piaget and are thoroughly inspired by the theory. Let us find out what Piaget proclaimed in his theory of Cognitive Development of Learning.

Explanation of Piaget’s Theory

Piaget explained in his theory that a child constructs a mental model of the world before he even begins to learn new concepts. He disregarded the previous theorists who proclaimed that intelligence was a fixed trait. According to Piaget, cognitive development is a process that is dependent on biological maturation and interaction with the environment.

There are three basic components of the theory

  • Schema
  • Adaptation 
    • Assimilation
    • Accommodation
  • Equilibrium

Schema- These are the basic building blocks of the cognitive model that our mind forms when observing the world for the first time. They enable us to have a mental representation of our surroundings. We use it to understand and respond to situations.

Adaptation- It consists of two parts, namely, Assimilation and Accommodation. 

  • Assimilation– This refers to using an existing schema to deal with a new object or situation.
  • Accommodation– It takes place when the existing arrangement of schema does not work and needs to be changed to deal with new situations.

Equilibrium– This is the stage of balance where the child finally reaches after rearranging the existing schemas. Whenever a situation of disequilibrium arises, the child can assimilate and accommodate the pre-settled schemas and reach equilibrium once again.

Four Stages of Cognitive Development

Piaget proposed four stages. They are:

  • Sensorimotor Stage (0-2 years)

In this stage, the main achievement of the child is object permanence. He knows that an object still exists even if it is hidden.

  • Pre-operational Stage (2-7 years)

In this stage, children can think about objects symbolically. The child develops egocentrism and has difficulty in accepting the viewpoints of others.

  • Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years)

It marks the beginning of logical and operational thinking. The child can do mental calculations since he can conserve numbers and other quantities like mass, height, etc., in his mind. The STEM kits can help at this stage because it enhances the process of development.

  • Formal Operational Stage (11 years and above)

In this stage, children develop the ability to think about abstract concepts and logically test hypothesis. The child begins to solve critical problems and make decisions like adults.

Relation between Educational Gifts and Piaget’s Theory

The cognitive perspective of learning is active, constructive and long-lasting. It engages students in the learning process by teaching them how to use their brains more effectively. It does not encourage rote learning or spoon-feeding. These theorists believe that learning is a result of the internal processing of information. Observation learning, discovery learning are two examples of the Cognitive Learning domain.

The market is filled with educational gifts for kids. These are the latest favourites of parents and kids for their unique way of combining education with entertainment and interesting games. These gifts enable children to learn by playing. Many colourful blocks and attractive puzzles can be used for making the child learn new ideas quickly. The innovative toys aid in the enhancement of motor development of children, let them solve critical problems on their own, make them socially and emotionally intelligent, and let the children become more creative. Thus, it can be said that the Cognitive Development theory of Piaget inspires modern educational gifts.