| The market for educational toys, games and, puzzles | | | | toy and leave them alone. This is no better than just |
| continues to grow. This growth can be attributed to | | | | setting them in front of the television. Parents must |
| lower costs of electronics parts, increased shelf | | | | embark on the "magical learning experience" together |
| space in the marketplace, and a growing demand for | | | | if the toy is to have any real value. No matter what |
| educational value in toys by parents. The worldwide | | | | developmental toys your youngsters like to play with, |
| market reached $1.7 Billion in 2005 and is estimated to | | | | playing with you is more important to their |
| be over $5 billion by 2010. Twenty years ago I had | | | | development. It is in your participation in the playing |
| an educational toy called Alphie. It was in the shape | | | | that determines the benefit a specific toy has for |
| of a robot. You put a card in the front panel and | | | | the child who is playing with it. |
| played a matching game. The card, however, was | | | | It is important to focus on your child's needs for |
| just a piece of plastic and no matter what card was | | | | physical and emotional development. You should look |
| in Alphie the answers were the same so ti wasn't | | | | for toys that can help them grow in those areas. For |
| long before I didn't even need the cards to get a | | | | example, a baby needs toys that can help him learn |
| perfect score. Educational toys have come a long | | | | to reach and grasp, to encourage learning hand eye |
| way since then. | | | | coordination. Toddlers, however, need toys they can |
| Children have this natural desire to learn and the | | | | pack around with them as they explore the world |
| earlier your child starts, the smarter they become. | | | | around them. Toy laptops and mobile phones are of |
| Any toy can be described as educational if it is being | | | | value to young children as an aid to imaginative play. |
| used to promote play in a meaningful way. Playing | | | | Look for toys that will not stifle a child's imagination. |
| with educational toys , games, or puzzles is one of | | | | Too often, electronic toys merely encourage button |
| the means that help children to establish contact with | | | | pushing rather than stimulate the child to learn and |
| the world he is living in, especially during the infancy | | | | explore (like the Alphie toy I talked about). With |
| stage. One good example would be a toy train set. | | | | electronic toys, interaction is the key. Also, avoid |
| Interacting with the trains will promote hand eye | | | | toys that can be easily lost or broken. Children play |
| coordination and the mastering of small movements. | | | | rough sometimes and if it breaks the first time they |
| It also will encourage an awareness of cause and | | | | drop it then it was a poor investment. |
| effect. Toys don't just teach cognitive ability, they | | | | More than anything, children want to have fun. So |
| motivate the child practice them and encourage the | | | | look for educational toys that are fun for your child, |
| child natural inventiveness and imagination. | | | | fun for you, and stimulating to their minds. |
| However, it is not enough to just hand you child the | | | | |