Toys with “bells and whistles”—those that light up, make sounds, or have moving parts—are marketed as exciting and educational. However, research suggests these toys might do more to distract than to promote meaningful learning for young children. Unlike simpler toys, they can reduce children’s opportunities to explore, experiment, and engage in open-ended play, which is essential for early development. This is not to be confused with multi-sensory toys which provide visual, auditory, and tactile characteristics. If you are an entrepreneur in, or thinking about getting into, the children’s toy market, understanding this can help you immensely to design the best toys for kids.
One of the main reasons flashy toys can undermine learning is that they tend to direct attention outward, making children passive participants rather than active explorers. When a toy lights up, plays a song, or moves on its own, it grabs a child’s attention through overstimulation, drawing their focus to the toy’s pre-programmed actions rather than encouraging the child to imagine or create their own play ideas. This type of sensory overload can also make it challenging for children to concentrate, diminishing their capacity to develop attention skills—a foundation for future learning and classroom behavior.
In contrast, simpler toys such as building blocks, dolls, or basic musical instruments encourage children to create their own play narratives. A set of blocks, for example, can become anything from a castle to a car, offering endless possibilities that stimulate a child’s creativity and problem-solving abilities. With bells-and-whistles toys, there is often a “right” way to use them, which limits opportunities for imaginative play and experimentation. When play becomes more about pushing buttons to make sounds or lights, rather than creating from scratch, children lose opportunities to practice executive function skills like planning, organizing, and completing a self-directed task.
Additionally, toys that heavily rely on electronic feedback may decrease opportunities for social interaction. Many traditional toys and play items naturally invite cooperative play—children might work together to build a structure with blocks, take turns with a toy kitchen, or role-play with dolls. However, when toys become more interactive on their own, children are less likely to engage with peers or adults. The toy itself becomes the primary source of entertainment, rather than a facilitator of shared experiences. Research indicates that parent-child and peer-to-peer interactions are vital for social and emotional development, and toys that limit these interactions may inadvertently hinder children’s ability to build essential social skills.
Language development can also be affected. Studies show that parents and caregivers are less likely to talk, ask questions, or narrate when children are playing with electronic toys. This interaction is crucial because a child’s vocabulary, understanding of sentence structure, and overall language skills are largely built through conversation with adults. Instead of engaging in a back-and-forth exchange, children with electronic toys often play solo, passively listening to the toy’s sounds or watching its lights. They miss out on the responsive, back-and-forth communication that helps them process language and develop their own expressive skills.
Finally, flashy toys can reduce physical play. Manipulating parts, building, or sorting require fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination, all of which are critical during early development. Electronic toys that mostly respond to a button press can limit opportunities to practice these skills, as the child has little need to physically interact beyond activating the toy’s features.
In summary, while toys with bells and whistles may look enticing and seem educational, they often come at a developmental cost. Simple, open-ended toys foster creativity, encourage social interaction, and promote language and motor skills, all of which are essential for healthy development.
Sources:
Fan, Y., Chong, D. K., & Li, Y. (2024, March). Beyond play: A comparative study of multi-sensory and traditional toys in child education. In Frontiers in Education, 9, 1182660.
Miller, J. L., Lossia, A., Suarez-Rivera, C., & Gros-Louis, J. (2017). Toys that squeak: Toy type impacts quality and quantity of parent–child interactions. First Language, 37(6), 630-647.
Radesky, J. S., & Christakis, D. A. (2016). Keeping children’s attention: The problem with bells and whistles. JAMA Pediatrics, 170(2), 112-113.