What is Cause-and-Effect?

May 20, 2021

We often talk about how our toys teach cause-and-effect…but what exactly is it? Well, it’s exactly what it sounds like—when something (the effect) happens as a result of something else (the cause). You are viewing this blog post (the effect) because you clicked on a link or came across it while browsing our website (the cause). Maybe you watered a plant this morning (the cause) to make it strong and healthy (the effect)!

So how does this concept relate to your kiddo? By learning about cause-and-effect, they can discover the impact of their actions—that something they do will cause something else to happen. This discovery can benefit both their problem-solving and social-emotional skills: they can learn to break down the causes that led to a problem and how their actions and words can affect others’ feelings.

Many of our toys can help you teach your little one this important concept and we’re highlighting 3 of them here!

1. Pound & Roll

Introduce cause-and-effect to your toddler with our Pound & Roll. With a tiny hands-friendly hammer and 4 balls to pound down, it offers a great hands-on demonstration of this important concept! When they hammer the ball through the hole, not only will they see it roll all the way down the chute, but they’ll also see the red star spin!

2. Pop-Up Pals

If your little one loves adorable animals, our Pop-Up Pals just might be the right toy to teach them about cause-and-effect. Each of the 4 buttons on this peek-a-boo toy is different—when your kiddo pushes, turns, presses, or slides one, they’ll see a friendly animal pop up! Along with seeing the effect of their action, they’ll be able to hear it too. Pop, pop, pop!

3. Skyrocopter

Take the educational fun outdoors with our Skyrocopter! With this flying disc toy, your little one can get active while learning all about cause-and-effect. When they pull on the launcher’s string, they’ll see the disc spin and fly away! Want to keep exploring this concept with your kiddo? First, ask them to pull on the string just a little. Then in the next round, ask them to pull it out all the way! Afterwards, you could discuss how pulling a little vs. a lot affected how far the disc flew.