Childrens TOys/Games?

Question

Im writing a paper for my child development class and we have to write it on a good educational toy/game for toodlers and preschoolers. I was wondering what are some toys/games i could write my paper on?

Answer 1

i have a 3 and a half year old and 18 month even with all the technology i cant go past giving them some blankets and the lounge and making a cubby there are also boxes to make cars and boats and animals and then cooking and measurments also water play and sandpit are great as they learn about being empty and full and textures so on. you cant go past just letting them  play they learn alot more that way than forcing them to do something boring at theat age they just throw tantrums if they dont like it.  my 3 year old is playing hopscotch she is learning the numbers and what they look like at the same time. hope that helps a little, take care and gl

Answer 2

Along with vsmile, what about leapfrog?  Perhaps explore the advantages and disadvantages technology has on educational toys.  (Do kids really learn better using technology or are they suffering from less human interaction because of it?)

I love the leapfrog toys because it does make learning fun and I can see benefit to my kiddos, but it comes with human interaction in our house.

When I was just starting out my daycare, I was told that the best toys or activities that any house can have are: blocks, lincoln logs, legos (or duplos), the tupperwarse shape sorter ball toy, puzles, tangrams, and things without batteries.  Sadly, when many children come to me in my daycare and discover that my toys don't make noise, they are a bit lost at first.  I see them exploring the blocks and puzzles and when their parents see this, sometimes they are amazed that their child loves the blocks so much.  Most of the kids in my daycare through the years don't own blocks at home!

I use the leapfrog and v.smile with my children to supplement our homeschool and all, but I love toys that make a child think, imagine and create.

Good luck on your paper.  Neat question!

Answer 3

The best classic toy is blocks, good old-fashioned unit blocks.

Answer 4

I think v-smile is a great educational video game for that age

Answer 5

Besides creative activities there are lots of games played in different regions of the world  specifically under developed countries which involve mental and physical participation of the children.you may refer to the books on the above  topic of these countries.

Answer 6

Every training I went to or book I read concerning the best toys for children always discussed how the best toys are those that allow the children to decide how to play with them (open-ended type toys) not toys that are designed to be played with in a specific way (closed-ended type toys).  Examples of open-ended toys are the various blocks (wooden blocks, legos, magnetic blocks, Lincoln logs), various vehicles (cars, trucks, planes of all sizes), a variety of dress up clothes, variety of baby dolls, house play items (play kitchen, table and chair set, play dishes, play food, play cleaning supplies like brooms and vacuums) - while it seems that house play items do dictate how you play with them, they are still open-ended because the child has to make up the "story:" cook the dinner, feed the baby, wash the dishes, but they can also turn the kitchen and table into a restaurant).  Art materials are also great play items because, once again, they allow the child to create.  How about puppets and a puppet theater - the possibilities are endless.  Don't rule out outdoor play items like balls, jump ropes, and bicycles - all kinds of games can be made up with just these.  Sensory tables are also a huge hit in childcare facilities - they can be filled with a variety of materials, not just water and sand.  You can fill them with beans, cotton ball, even snow when the weather cooperates.  Measuring cups, scoops, etc. added to the sensory tables are great for learning about solids and liquids, measuring, equivalents, etc.

OK, let me talk a little about closed ended toys.  My son is really into super heroes lately, so we have various action figures.  The thing that really upset me when we started buying these was that there were many, many "versions" of the same character - for example, when the last Superman movie came out, there must have been 30 different Superman action figures, and each one did something different - one broke free from krypton crystals, one broke open a safe, one jumped up.  The little pieces were easily lost or were very difficult and frustrating for my son to have to put back together each time, so after some time only the action figure was left for my son to play with.  So basically, the toy was dictating to the child how it should be played (closed-ended), but my son enjoyed it more when all that was left was the figure for him to pretend with and make up the story.

Look through any catalog that has toys and educational materials for young children.  You will see only good quality, open-ended toys for children.  I really enjoy the Lakeshore catelog and still order from them today now that I'm teaching 5th and 6th grade.  You won't see any violent or super hero toys in these catalogs.

I sure hope this helps, I put a lot of thought into this topic at one point in my life when I was opening and working in childcare facilities.

Answer 7

I bought leapfrog for my grand kids and they just loved it it's fun and educational they learn ed  allot from it and the books comes for all different ages