Learning Toys

Parenthood requires so many complex decision-making skills. Choosing toys for your child shouldn’t test your critical thinking skills, but often, with such a huge selection of toys from which to choose, it does. It is easy to get caught up in wondering which of the latest technological breakthroughs is going to have your preschooler conjugating Latin at age four. Learning toys are a hot market, but don’t get caught up in the rush to get the technology that will be obsolete next year.

Keep it Simple

Just about as soon as a baby can hold something in his hand, he loves to manipulate things. Passing objects from hand-to-hand, examining them from all sides, and seeing what happens when they are stacked up – and knocked down – teaches your baby about cause and effect and gravity and enhances hand-eye coordination. Simple stacking toys (blocks of various sizes that form a tower, for instance), or rings that can be stacked on a stationary base are wonderful for your baby’s motor skills. If the stacking pieces rattle or squeak, all the better for baby’s fun.

Babies love to experiment with what goes where, so any toys that involve sorting are sure to please. So long as the pieces are large enough for your baby to grasp and not put in his mouth, toys that fit inside of other toys will delight him.

The Classics

No doubt you fondly remember the classic toys from your childhood that taught you fine motor skills and spatial relations while you thought you were just having fun. Puzzles and blocks are wonderful learning toys that can be handed down to younger siblings (so long as you don’t lose the pieces). Look for sturdy, non-toxic puzzles that are suited to your child’s age, and blocks that will hold up under hours of use. Legos, for instance, come in a variety of sizes, from large blocks made for young babies to detailed sets for school-aged children.

Hand puppets encourage children to tell stories and to experiment with different voices and point of view. A variety of animal puppets will keep your preschooler happy inventing plots and resolving conflicts.

School-aged children love hands-on learning and experimentation. While you probably don’t want a chemistry set in your basement, bug habitats, ant farms, and microscopes will keep your budding scientist busy in the back yard making predictions and testing hypotheses.

Basic art supplies -- markers, crayons, heavy construction paper, and safety scissors – will encourage your child to express himself through the visual arts while also improving fine motor and spatial relations skills, as well as teach about texture, shape, and composition.

Keep it Safe

To ensure your child’s safety, check the manufacturer’s suggested age when selecting toys. A good rule of thumb to follow is that if a toy can fit through an empty toilet tissue tube, it could choke a child under about age three, and is therefore inappropriate for small children.

There have been numerous toys recalled because of their lead paint levels, and many stores post recall notices and remove those toys from their shelves. For a list of recalled toys, check the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s site at.

Inexpensive crayons and chalk may also contain lead, so be sure that the products you buy conform to ASTM standards, which should be clearly marked on the label.

Since children learn through play, you don’t need elaborate technology or complicated toys to help them learn. Keeping simple, safe toys available to them will encourage their natural curiosity and desire to learn. Have fun!