Educational toys don’t necessarily have to be labeled “educational”, in my personal opinion. However purchasing toys that support areas where your kids are currently learning and developing is something to really consider when thinking about what you will purchase this season. Different toys certainly impact children’s behavior in different ways. Toys can influence children’s thinking, interaction with peers, and creative expression. Some toys have incredible design but are not particularly engaging. So how do you know what to buy?
What should I look for in an Educational Toy?
Like I mentioned before, I believe that play has purpose if it is enriching the life of your family and engaging to your child’s mental process. There are a variety of ways this is done. If a toy or game encourages one of the 5 areas below I consider it to be educational and a good fit for our family.
1. Language and Vocabulary Development : There are so many toys and games that can be used to learn new vocabulary and reinforce words that your child is currently learning. I loved playing scrabble with my family growing up but there are so many more games on the market now. Bananagrams is another one our kids adore and is perfect to pack along for a holiday trip.
2. Imagination and Creativity : Kids have the best imaginations! I love encouraging their creative play. I frequently offer the children several art supplies, markers, poster board and tell them to come up with something. I am always impressed with what they create. Another thing I make sure to have available is props and costumes. A simple cape or extra fabric can be transformed through the eyes of a child. We have enjoyed several “productions” that our children have scripted and performed. These double to supporting their literary skill and can include children of varying age ranges.
3. Math and Problem Solving : Banking and money oriented toys are wonderful for encouraging math and problem solving. Children love to “set up shop” and put together a grocery story or fashion boutique. The addition of a cash register with currency and coins helps to reinforce concepts of addition, subtraction, and place value.
4. Physical Abilities : Bike riding, hula hoops, jumping rope, stacking blocks encourage not just physical development and balance but cognitive development as well. Research is currently being done to discover the link between physical activity and brain power. You can read more about that here. It’s always amazing to me the way physical activity helps people of all age work through emotion. From pounding out tensions with play dough or releasing energy by jumping on a trampoline, everyone is more focused after some physical play.
5. Social Skills : Almost all educational toys encourage social skill development. Playing in a group helps children to work as a team and learn group dynamics. This helps them to become aware of what others think and feel. There will be times of conflict with all teams and groups but this is a great opportunity! Providing opportunities to teach our children proper techniques of conflict management and resolution early on is so valuable.
All kids love to play! We can help make the most of every opportunity with just a few considerations as we select games, toys and supplies to help them along the way.
Entire Article can be found here: https://www.fatbraintoys.com/play/2014/10/29/the_top_5_things_to_consider_when_buying_education.cfm