| You want the best for your child, right? When | | | | 3. Designed for specific ages |
| choosing educational toys for your child, you also | | | | Yes, some children's physical and cognitive |
| want to select ones that will benefit your child the | | | | development is faster or slower than the rate that's |
| most. The problem is that the "best" educational toys | | | | typical for kids their age. But generally children arrive |
| can meet different criteria for different children. Here | | | | at certain developmental milestones, at roughly the |
| are some features that you should consider in your | | | | same time. So look for toys that are designed for |
| quest for finding toys that will teach your child | | | | specific age groups. This will help to maximise a toy's |
| effectively and responsibly: | | | | learning potential for your child. You can usually find |
| 1. Toys that maintain your child's health and safety | | | | these recommendations printed on the toy's |
| It's crucial to keep your child safe while he or she is | | | | packaging. |
| learning via educational toys. This is true of both | | | | 4. Educational toys that are fun |
| "traditional" toys and high-tech ones. Ensure that toys | | | | Unfortunately, many of us have been conditioned to |
| are made of safe materials that lack parts and | | | | believe that learning can't be fun. Well, it CAN be! If |
| chemicals that could be harmful to your child. Plastics | | | | your child is having fun while learning, then his or her |
| should be of a particular concern. While today's toy | | | | motivational level will be optimized, thus optimizing |
| companies often use cheap plastics to cut their | | | | how much learning occurs. From building blocks to |
| production costs, experts have linked some of the | | | | educational software, if children are having fun, then |
| chemicals used in these toys to serious illness. | | | | they'll stay engaged in the activities. Meanwhile, if |
| 2. Effective and Educational | | | | toys are boring then your child will likely set them |
| By definition, educational toys should teach. | | | | aside just as they would other "not fun" toys. |
| Unfortunately, some toys don't teach effectively, | | | | 5. Educational toys that are eco-friendly. |
| and some don't teach at all! So look for educational | | | | Look for toys that can be partially or fully recycled. |
| toys that boost your child's knowledge base and can | | | | Too many toys end up in landfills, where they emit |
| do so efficiently. Unfortunately, too often we don't | | | | chemicals that are harmful to the environment and |
| learn how ineffective a toy is, until after we've spent | | | | the people in it. By choosing toys that can be |
| a small fortune on it. So do your homework before | | | | recycled, you're not only benefiting your children, but |
| buying educational toys for your tot. Read reviews | | | | also the world at large. |
| and ask your friends and relatives which toys have | | | | Finding the "best" educational toy will require you to |
| been most effective for their own children. As a | | | | do your homework. But the end result is that your |
| word of caution, keep in mind that many so-called | | | | child will learn, and that learning won't just benefit him |
| "educational" toys are quite entertaining, but don't | | | | or her. |
| actually teach anything. | | | | |