Over the years we've seen a lot of so-called educational toys come and go. Often they were little more than electronic flashcards. This year we found learning toys that are "smarter" than usual, as well as playful.
For years we've complained about quiz machines that try to cover everything from Kindergarten to Junior High and end up simply confusing kids and fitting no one. But now we are finding more games targeted to particular skills and age groups. So, the toy makers have made a better use of technology.
Also in the good trend department, you'll find more volume controls on talking toys for kids of all ages. That's something we have been asking for over the years.
On the bad news side , we're still finding age labels that can be misleading- especially in educational toys. We found a lot of products labeled 2 or 3 & up that make much better choices for four and five year olds.
You will find many other previous winners as well as new and excellent choices in the 2005 Edition of our annual book.
Keep in mind that some of the most educational toys are open-ended classics such as blocks, construction sets, puppets, art supplies and craft kits.
Remember as you choose new playthings that learning is not limited to a series of right and wrong answers. Educational toys involve creative thinking, problem solving, dexterity, and learning to stick with a task that requires planning and organized thinking. Happily, many of these important skills are learned best while doing seemingly non-academic quizzes. Yet, they are no less important than the right/wrong answer approach to learning. In fact, they are key to a zest for learning about learning and discovering the excitement of mastering new tasks.
As you probably have discovered there are many “bridge” toys that will be enjoyed in different way by your four year old and your seven year old.
Preschoolers and Kindergartners
Children start working on color, counting and letter skills during preschool and kindergarten years.
Games such as Candyland, Dominoes and Lotto matching games are still bright choices. So are puzzles and lacing boards that develop children's visual perception and dexterity.
Language, Color Concepts, Visual Memory
|