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As the trend to label toys because"educational" continues to grow, parents may wonder if the hype associated with these kinds of toys is authentic and if they're worth the cash. Here are five tips from toy and education experts on which to consider when selecting an educational toy to your child:
The link between schooling and toys has ever existed with the continuing wave of high-technology educational toys, many of the toys parents and teachers used to associate with learning may no longer be known for their instructional value. "The best toys are simple and open-ended," says Ellen Wild, chairperson of the Early Childhood Program at Dutchess Community College.
Wild suggests giving children crayons, markers and plain paper, along with envelopes and stickers to promote thinking about writing. She also points to blocks, Legos, and manipulatives (think: stacking toys, shape sorters) to help build small muscles in the hands and fingers in anticipation of writing and also to assist with perceptual motor skills. Wild states she does see children which have been entertained too exclusively by electronics and toys with"bells and whistles". "A lot of these children have not learned persistence, an ability to focus without being amused," says Wild,"(They) haven't enjoyed being creative in their own and are not excited by books and learning."
READ MORE: The debate on educational toys
Individualize your strategy
"Toys are resources in creating the learning environment," says Natasha Kravchenko, representative of Educational Toys Planet, an online retailer since 2002. Kravchenko states it is very important to choose the right toy for your child's age, attention or stage. And not to buy exactly what you want or what you wanted as a kid except to purchase the toy that is suitable for your child's character. She suggests thinking about which toys will make your child want to find something new, improve their skills, and encourage independent learning. "You can assess consumer's testimonials and manufacturer's era recommendations, but your selection should largely depend on your child," says Kravchenko,"not other people's opinion about the toy."
Go to the land of make believe
"The best toys are those that boost creativity and pretend play," says Nancy Werner, Kindergarten teacher at Traver Road School at Pleasant Valley. "These toys also grow with the child and they are able to use them for several purposes."
https://digi.usac.edu.gt/ojsrevistas/index.php/cytes/comment/view/694/0/12794 , with a four-year older, suggests dress up clothes, play food and dolls to foster imagination, production of stories and language that result in reading comprehension and writing abilities. She also urges creative games that be played with adults or other children, like Candy Land, for developing counting, collaboration, turn taking and problem solving.
Be realistic



Parents should be cautious about the promises made by instructional toy commercials. "Children's development can not be accelerated," says Jim Taylor, Ph. D, Psychology, author of"Your Children are Under Attack: How Popular Culture is Destroying Your Kids' Values, and How You Can Protect Them." "Children can only grow at the speed they are capable."
Taylor says that trying to accelerate a child's growth can actually slow it down since kids are forced to do things for which they aren't developmentally ready. The outcome is that kids are prevented from doing what they ought to do in their stage of growth.
"It is more important to have conversations with children and ask them questions to help them explain and believe than to invest countless dollars on a toy or video which will be just a 1 way'conversation'," says Werner.
Werner and Wild both point to books, either bought or borrowed, as being among the best educational assets your youngster can own. And one of the greatest tools parents can use to teach their kids. "One of the very best educational'toys' to get a kid is an adult who spends time talking, reading, and appreciating the wonders of earth with (these )," says Wild.