With the start of the shopping frenzy near, we all know we need to be on the look-out for toys that could harm our kids; but how about the ones which can help them and maybe make them smarter? There are toys you can buy to help boast your child’s brainpower.
3-year-old Garrett already knows what he wants for Christmas: a rocket gun.
Although mom Alicia Fulmer says Santa might consider it, she has her own list stocking stuffers like educational toys, trains, puzzles, wooden toys and dolls. We talked to Fulmer while she shopped at Imagination Station in Spartanburg.
While they may not be at the top of your child's list, childhood education expert, and adjunct Wofford College professor Dr. Anita McLeod says those are just the kinds of toys that are important to a child's development. McLeod says, "There are studies out there that say we are over-stimulating our kids with TV and computers…which says that they are not outside playing, kicking balls, riding bikes and working puzzles. I’d like to see children go back to puzzles again." She says children who like to work puzzles, just might become engineers.
What’s the number one thing on Dr. McLeod's list as she shops for her 8-month-old granddaughter Marina? Books. Books. Books. McLeod says you can't go wrong going back to basics with toys like Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys and even dolls. "We do need to help children see what can happen with their hands when they build and construct and what can happen in their heads as they visualize in their heads what an author writes about,” says McLeod.
While Garrett's gearing up for a fun-filled holiday, his mom wants to make sure she's steering him in the right direction developmentally. Fulmer says, "I want something that they can use their imagination and creativity when they are playing."
Dr. Anita McLeod’s best toy suggestions, which most importantly should be age appropriate:
Trains
Cars
Dolls
Blocks
Paints
Crayons
Puzzles
Toys with which they can build
Toys which encourage them to pretend
BOOKS!
Link she recommends:
www.naeyc.org/jounal/goodtoys.asp
For information on toy safety and recalls go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission: http://www.cpsc.gov/
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement