by Trailmix.Net

Question by Wyatt’s mama: What are some good educational, age appropriate but inexpensive toys for a 12 month old boy?
Wyatt’s birthday is soon approaching (well 2 months) and he needs some toys that will make him think. He no longer plays with the toys he has, he would rather try to stack bowls, try to get things to fit together or something else somewhat challenging for a 10 month old. So what are some good toys that would keep him “thinking” and that would have a bit of challenge to it?

Best answer:

Answer by RyliesMummy17
Judging by what you’ve said, maybe a shape sorter would be a good idea?
the ones with a bucket and a lid with different shapes cut out..
You can pick them up cheaply.
Hope i helped!

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Question by sarra_nicole: What are educational, entertaining games/toys for my one year old to play?
she seems to get so bored with the toys we have for her now, any suggestions? What does a one year old like?
my babies favorite place is the kitchen too, thanks kiki

Best answer:

Answer by kiki68
one year olds are at the stage where the whole world is an adventure. they do not have a long attention span first because their brains are not developed enough and secondly because everything is too exciting to concentrate on one thing at a time. dont expect her to be engrossed in one item for more than 15 minutes.

toys in primary colors, things that make noise (rattles, telephones, squeaky soft toys). also things she can manipulate, tho dont expect perfection. my kids however loved the contents of the bottom kitchen drawer better than all shop bought toys.nothing beats having a wooden stick and a pan to bang on!

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by The University of Iowa Libraries

Question by mommy: Any suggestions on good entertaining, educational toys…..?
I have a 22 month old. He is too old for the noise making, button pushing toys. He likes sorting, and toys that are challenging. Do any of you have suggestions of GREAT toys that are entetaining for my little guy????

Best answer:

Answer by Eric B
Time for some puzzles! In the frame, wooden puzzles are great, and you can choose from a wide variety without breaking the bank. My daughter’s favorite was/is Melissa & Doug’s talking US Map. When you put the state/piece in place, the puzzle names the state and its capital. Beyond puzzles, you can find lots of engaging, quality toys from M&D–they’ve got tons of great stuff, and all of it exceeds US Safety Standards.

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by aaipodpics

Article by Emma

As a parent, it is understandable that you want to give your child all you can. You offer them a great place to live, food that is going to help them develop, and plenty of love and attention. You can also give your child developmental advantages with the use of educational toys.

Since you want your children to have plenty of toys to play with, this doesn’t have to be an additional expense. Instead of buying them tons of toys that are purely for entertainment, consider those that package both learning and fun into one. These educational toys are affordable and you will find they offer significant value.

They are offered for various age groups and learning levels too. All children have different abilities, but they need the same basic skills to span their skills and talents outwards from. Giving your child educational toys will help them to secure all of the necessary skills that they need.

Children love to play and that is where these toys come into the picture. Your child can spend time singing, dancing, reading, playing with blocks, and much more. Those are all typical things that children will enjoy doing. Yet you also get the satisfaction of knowing what they play with is going to help them to problem solve, to focus, to improve overall coordination, and to help with logical thought patterns.

Look for educational toys that have been proven to help children with various types of learning. You have to be careful because some products out there are just using clever marketing. They want to encourage parents to buy the toy, so they give the impression it is a learning aid. Such marketing isn’t ethical but it can be legal. All they have to do is show some type of learning is possible from the toy and they will have that legal aspect covered.

Since educational toys can offer many different types of learning, make sure your child is exposed to a variety of toys. Offer some that help with role playing, some that help with coordination, and those that offer them a chance to learn basic skills such as numbers and letters. A well rounded child will play with all of these types of educational toys as often as you will let them.

This is certainly a better alternative than just toys without underlying value. You also don’t want your children playing with toys that are too dangerous or that you don’t approve of. Many parents are upset when they see the selection of toys on the market these days. Electronics are nice, but they should be limited unless they are learning in nature so that a child doesn’t pass up a great opportunity to learn.

While it is true that parents can’t do it all for their children, they can offer them the tools. There is plenty of self discovery as well as learning potential offered through the use of educational toys. If you want to give your child every possible advantage out there, consider offering them these toys. You won’t be disappointed with the results. They will be thrilled with the play time too so it is a combination that helps your family.

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Question by lysistrata411: What are the best educational and/or fun toys for a 6-7 month old?
We have the usual toys: swings, bumbo chair, vibrating chair, playmats, tummy time toys… What other toys are there that babies really like? I am thinking ahead for a few things to ask for as christmas presents for my little boy.

Best answer:

What do you think? Answer below!

by The University of Iowa Libraries

Toys are considered as one of the most essential tools that facilitate a child’s growth into an adult. Since children spend a lot of time with their toys, using that time to simultaneously teach them something meaningful by way of Educational toys has become really popular. More and more toy makers throughout the world are innovating new kinds of educational toys which are becoming increasingly popular with parents and nursery schools alike. These toys also help keep the attention of the child occupied for longer durations giving the parents the much required breathing space.

From building blocks of the earlier times, educational toys have come a long way. Now, there are recreational playing sets available that could teach children alphabets, numbers, colors and shapes.

Toy makers working in collaboration with leading child psychologists throughout the world have taken the concept of educational toys even further.

As this is the age of television and it is becoming increasingly difficult to keep the children away from the TV screens, the toy makers have turned this to their advantage by making available educational software on CDs and DVDs. This kind of educational material is often presented with the help of cartoons and colorful presentations giving children a reason to be hooked to the TV screens and learn at the same time (much to their parents’ relief).

Kids learning and education pattern has seen a paradigm shift as more and more kids are starting to read at a much earlier age than before. Not only toys but kids educational games are being designed keeping in mind the education needs of the children. So, now they learn not only while they are playing by themselves but also when they are playing with each other.

With the mass infiltration of internet in the daily lives of all urban adults, several kids’ educational websites have also become popular. They offer a wide variety of educational toys, games and software from all leading manufacturers. This gives the customers a chance to compare products at a single stop eliminating the need to visit various stores physically.

Although the main aim of educational toys is to educate, the larger picture is still to make the toy interesting for the child to hold his attention for long enough, thus enabling him to learn. There is no fixed formula to buying a toy for a child because each child has his or her likes and dislikes. But, still with the never-ending variety of toys in the market it shouldn’t be all that difficult for the parents to find plenty of suitable recreational tools for their child.

The concept of toys has evolved over the years. Toys are no longer the means to just entertain children but teach them, thanks to the coming of educational toys!

Liquidize an eyeball, and then make it whole. Read minds. Produce cockroaches from an empty dust bin and make a clean toilet dirty. These are just a few of the gross magic tricks your aspiring magician will enjoy. This magic kit is a great way to entertain the entire family. Includes magic props and easy to follow instructions. Truly amazing, this is really Gross Magic! Check out this item at our online store: www.museumtour.com Gross Magic – Educational Toys – Performing Arts

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by Arenamontanus

Article by Low Jeremy

The modern day busy parent tries to compensate for his or her lack of time for his or her children by investing a great deal on education. Thus, it is not a surprise how many of such parents move mountains just to provide their kids entertaining products that not only encourage play, but also instill discovery and learning.

Makers of toys worldwide recognize this growing trend and are, consequently, coming up with new and improved lines of children’s educational toys and games almost every month. What was once limited only to specialty toy and game shops, educational toys and games are now a staple in every children’s oriented stores around the world, even at general mass retailers, like Wal-Mart and K-Mart.

Statistics show that the sales of toys and games have declined over the years. However, educational toys have been on the rise, as more parents opt to purchase products that would give them the most value for their money, as compared to, say, buying Bratz dolls and Hot Wheels.

The record for educational toys was broken in the Holiday season of the year 2000, when toy maker LeapFrog’s LeapPad Learning System electronic reading toy became the bestselling children’s game of the time, helping the company boost its sales by a whopping 120 per cent!

LeapFrog’s success paved the way for other major and small toy makers to come up with educational toys of their own. Jakks Pacific, under its Child Guidance brand, released its own line of children’s educational toys and games following a deal with Baby Genius. Hasbro released its Baby Einstein line and unveiled its preschool units, namely the Baby Einstein Company and Playskool. These new toys encouraged children to dabble in art, music, different foreign and local languages, and even poetry.

The strong demand for educational toys and games for children has urged major retailers, like Toys “R” Us, to allocate shelves upon shelves for these kinds of toys. And because more and more households are transforming into two-income families, it is likely that the demand will grow further as parents seek products that would try to fill their absence during their children’s formative learning years.

With the rise in demand, it won’t be a surprise when the price tag that comes with these educational toys and games will also decrease as the years pass. Right now, these kinds of toys are still a little expensive (though it hasn’t stopped most parents from buying them). In the future, due to the overwhelming interest, educational toys and games will be accessible to everyone.

by shannonpatrick17

Question by arnaudfisc: What are the best educational toys to offer a 6-year old boy for this Xmas?

Best answer:

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by Tinker*Tailor loves Lalka

One of the very best ways for parents to help their children get off on the right foot as far as learning is concerned is to provide them with educational toys that encourage them to use their minds while playing. One of the very best choices in educational toys today is the calico critters collection of toys.

The Calico Critters are adorable toys which are made to help kids discover the world around them as well as teach them how to recognize and value relationships. Your child will be provided with long hours of enjoyable fun with these toys as he/she finds all kinds of ways to play with them. These characters are cute, small, soft animals that live in their own little beautiful world filled with both fun and work. Charming houses and furnishings made with a great amount of attention to detail are ready to play with right out of the box.

Another top choice are Groovy Girl characters made by manhattan toys.

Groovy Girls dolls are an award-winning and mom-approved collection of soft fashion dolls that inspire young girls to rejoice in their own unique, personal style. The people working behind the scenes at Manhattan Toys know that play is discovery, exploration, joy, learning and much, much more. This company not only makes the adorable Groovy Girl dolls but also is credited with introducing the world to Whoozits and Dr. Seuss toys. This toy company is responsible for making several hundred different types of exclusive toys designed to allow kids to have fun and learn at the same time.

At first glance, you may wonder how the Groovy Girl doll collection is educational. The fact is, this line of dolls is different from typical dolls on the market because each doll is totally unique from the next. They each have their own look and identity and wear clothes that no other doll in the collection wears. This allows children the opportunity to choose one of the soft dolls that they can relate to. Children can use the dolls to experiment with fashion and clothing in general and they will learn about caring for their special little friend the way kids do. A major part of learning is using the imagination and the Groovy girl dolls were designed specifically to spark the imagination of children.

Kids simply love the Groovy Girls as they are able to change their removable outfits at will. The doll clothing features cool details such as hook and loop closures and amazing accessories. These dolls teach children that beauty comes in all sizes, styles and colors as no two are alike. These dolls are ideal for children aged three through nine years. The Groovy Girls have been on the market for ten years now and in honor of that milestone, there is a line of RSVP birthday dolls on the market. The dolls also come with invitations to a website for an interactive party that kids simply adore.

The next time you make a trip to the nearest toy store to pick up something new for your child, take a walk down the educational toy aisle. It is in this aisle that you will find the Calico Critters and Groovy Girl dolls made by Manhattan Toys. Pick up or two up and take them home for your child to play with and care for – they are considered the top of the heap of educational toys, making them well worth your money!

About the Author:

This article is written by Cin Rupp.

More On Educational Toys Articles

Question by jessalynn: Have you gotten your money’s worth out of your kids educational toys/workbooks/software etc. or not?
Do you find educational toys, games, software, workbooks, etc. to be of help or a waste of money? Which were used and helpful? Which were set aside or hardly used? Were there any that were so fun the kids didn’t have to be prodded to use them? Thanks in advance for your comments.

Best answer:

Answer by nicola278
One software I really liked was Clifford Reading when my daughter was in SK. Reader Rabbit is OK but I liked Clifford better. The setting is at an amusement park. I found leap pads OK but my children mostly played with them on long car rides. They are one more activity that reinforces skills well though.

My best values have been : regular wooden blocks, stories on CD which I mostly borrowed from the library, our sandbox, legos and a painting easel.

You can’t always tell what will stimulate your child’s interest.

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