Children’s toys that educate as well as entertain
Kids love to learn through play and finding the right toys can help your child develop both physically and mentally.
Toddlers adore games that are based around construction and destruction, and you can’t go far wrong with time-tested favourites such as building blocks, Lego or a Brio wooden train set. The crucial factor is that these toys can cope with the bangs and knocks that come with the demolition part of the game, once all the building fun is over.
Older children usually enjoy the constructive part without the need to crash it all apart afterwards, with Airfix kits and Meccano still popular, along with more modern options such as Bionicles, Transformers or the more intricate Lego kits, such as the Star Wars and Pirates of theCaribbeanthemed sets. These toys help to develop co-ordination and an understanding of how things fit together – not to mention patience!
Boys also love to combine building with vehicles, with Hornby train sets and Scalextric still hugely popular with generations of kids and the young at heart. Hot Wheels is another popular variation on the theme.
Arts and crafts are a great way to encourage creativity with both boys and girls, from Play-Doh to paints to a stencil or spirograph for smaller kids, to more delicate options such as junior jewellery design, customising your own teddy bear, card making and model kits. Encourage children to make a mess within a controlled environment and you’ll watch their imaginations fly.
Boardgames can be an effective educational tool, as well as developing negotiation skills with other players. It can be as simple as Snakes and Ladders helping smaller children learn about numbers to developing the forward-thinking required for chess or mahjong.
There’s also a growing number of computer games with educational aspects, from the puzzle solving and brainteasers of the Professor Layton games to the Moshi Monsters mini-games where kids must answer questions to earn awards and trophies.
The Nintendo DSi in particular has a range of learning games, from Brain Training to specifically targeted titles focusing on maths, languages, spelling and drawing. A VTech baby laptop is ideal for toddlers, while the InnoTab touch screen tablet gives older kids access to educational games, ebooks and creative activities.
Give your child the right toy and they can enjoy the best possible start in life without even realising they are learning along the way.
