| Back to School and it's time to think tbout | | | | that you can pull off the shelf. As an after |
| new toys for preschool and kindergarten | | | | thought - it is also a good idea to rotate |
| children. | | | | toys so children always feel there is |
| | | | something new to play with. |
| Excitement is in the air - its Back to School | | | | |
| time and parents and educators will once | | | | As you select educational preschool and |
| again begin searching for new quality | | | | kindergarten toys that are safe, easy to |
| educational learning toys for their toddlers | | | | clean and age-appropriate remember that all |
| and preschoolers. | | | | children have different methods of learning. |
| | | | Children do not need to be sitting at a desk |
| Whether you are a parent or an educator | | | | to learn. You will need a variety of toys in |
| selecting new toys for your preschool and | | | | a wide selection of shapes and colors to keep |
| kindergarten age children is something to | | | | all your children from getting bored. If |
| take seriously. There are three important | | | | you notice a child getting bored with a |
| things I believe we need to consider when | | | | certain toy it might be a good time to |
| selecting toddler and preschool toys. | | | | consider pulling out a more advanced toy to |
| | | | see if he is ready for it. |
| In this article I will briefly define just | | | | |
| what makes a toy an "educational toy", | | | | Several types of toys that are very popular |
| suggest three things to consider in the | | | | with young children and create stimulation |
| selection of such toys and offer three toy | | | | include cardboard building blocks, 3d wood |
| categories that I believe are of utmost | | | | puzzles and wooden play sets. Not only are |
| importance as a choice for preschool toys. | | | | these toys safe and easy to clean they are |
| | | | reliable, and children of several age groups |
| To the point, an educational toy is any toy | | | | can play alone or together to develop |
| that will "teach a child something good." | | | | eye-hand coordination, social skills and |
| Allowing children to play creatively, alone | | | | muscle strength. |
| or in a group setting, with a variety of | | | | |
| carefully selected toys will greatly benefit | | | | ImagiBRICKS is the trade name of some of the |
| your child. Children's "work" is play and | | | | toys that I personally believe in and sell. |
| selecting toys that spur their creativity and | | | | These giant "brick" block toys that have a |
| imagination will make a variety of toys | | | | drool-proof coating. These brick blocks have |
| "educational." | | | | smooth, tight fitting seams and are easy to |
| | | | clean. A safe, quality cardboard set of |
| Imaginative children do not need fancy or | | | | blocks such as these will hold up well for |
| necessarily expensive toys but their toys do | | | | many years of tough play. They also happen |
| need to be safe. Safely is one of the most | | | | to be crush-proof making them a block I would |
| common things overlooked when selecting new | | | | recommend for preschools whose toys get a lot |
| toys for young children. Remember to read | | | | of use and misuse. |
| the labels and be aware of the type of | | | | |
| material the toy is made of. If you are | | | | Wooden play sets such as A Day at the Zoo, |
| shopping online make sure you are provided | | | | African Safari and Arctic Circle, sold at All |
| information about the durability of the | | | | I Can Imagine - offer quality built toys for |
| material, especially when selecting wood | | | | children 3up and are geared for creative |
| products. | | | | imaginative play that will encourage your |
| | | | children to play together and increase their |
| The best type of wood for wooden puzzles and | | | | social skills. Play sets make good toys for |
| play sets comes from the Rubberwood tree. | | | | preschools because there are lots of pieces |
| Its wood is very hard, non-splintering and | | | | allowing several children to play together. |
| very durable. Toys made from this wood are | | | | As they "work" together to create their own |
| not going to break or splinter when dropped | | | | "drama" they will learn to work together and |
| or chewed. If the toy puzzle is painted make | | | | problem solve while, at the same time, you as |
| sure the manufacture tells you that child | | | | a teacher or parent will have opportunities |
| safe paint was used. It is also a good idea | | | | to guide their play to correlate with a new |
| to make sure the individual puzzle pieces | | | | lesson. |
| have smoothly sanded edges so that there are | | | | |
| no rough edges to hurt your child. | | | | My third and final toy category suggestion is |
| | | | the ever-popular 3d wooden puzzles. |
| Making sure a toy does or does not (depending | | | | Providing a variety of puzzles, a child's |
| on your child's age requirement) have small | | | | favorite toy, will meet their need for a |
| pieces that can be easily swallowed is | | | | variety of shapes and colors. When playing |
| another important safety issue you must | | | | with puzzles children - |
| consider. Some pieces that come with a | | | | |
| particular toy or play set might need to be | | | | · acquire eye-hand coordination |
| pulled out and put away until your child is a | | | | |
| little older. | | | | · expand fine motor skills |
| | | | |
| Besides safety it is imperative we remember | | | | · reinforce paying attention to detail |
| to think about sanitation. This is | | | | |
| especially important for preschool and | | | | · foster your child's self-esteem |
| kindergarten classrooms because many | | | | |
| different children will be handling the toys. | | | | 3d puzzles are intricately interlocked and |
| Consider whether or not the toy can be | | | | are one of the best toys I can think of for |
| cleaned and sanitized without destroying the | | | | helping a child learn to stick to a task |
| toy. If there are many nooks and crannies | | | | until it is finished. Even as adults we find |
| that can't be gotten at you may want to | | | | it difficult to get up from a puzzle. When a |
| select another toy that has straighter edges. | | | | child finishes his puzzle they will often |
| | | | tear it apart and begin all over. Because |
| Wood is a popular material for lots of | | | | there are only three - ten or so pieces in a |
| children's toys such as puzzles, trucks, and | | | | 3d puzzle it is a wise idea to have several |
| play sets. Again, a well-made wood toy, | | | | puzzles from a variety of categories so that |
| painted with child safe paint, can easily be | | | | your child will not become bored. |
| cleaned without any harm to the wood. | | | | |
| Another thing I especially like about wood | | | | Presenting puzzles to your toddlers is an |
| toys is that they have a "feel - good" | | | | interesting teaching method to use when |
| texture everyone loves. Any time I pick up a | | | | beginning a new lesson series; such as when |
| wooden toy I remember the joys of my youth. | | | | introducing children to underwater life it is |
| This is a good feeling to pass on to the next | | | | a good idea to have many fish and sea life |
| generation. | | | | puzzles handy. Even quality 3d wood puzzles |
| | | | are affordable so it will be easy for all |
| The third and last attribute of a day care | | | | schools or parents to have a plentiful supply |
| toy that I'd like to present is that the | | | | on hand. |
| children's ages be taken into consideration. | | | | |
| No one wants his or her children to get | | | | Providing many colorful visual "displays" in |
| injured from a toy that is too advanced for | | | | your preschool, kindergarten and at home will |
| their age or developmental stage. I think it | | | | make learning fun and aide in your children's |
| is better to stay on the safe side and give a | | | | learning development. Lesson planning will |
| toy that is at or below his age to your | | | | be enhanced for teachers and parents with the |
| child. | | | | addition of several new toys every month or |
| | | | so. Back to School - the doors are open to |
| In a preschool and kindergarten setting you | | | | another exciting year of learning fun. And, |
| will need toys of varying age groups so as | | | | remember to think of safety, sanitation and |
| younger children develop you will already | | | | age appropriateness. |
| have more advanced toys in your inventory | | | | |