Posts Tagged ‘Learning’
Learning Toys Winter
Posted on: September 14, 2010
When I was young, I couldn’t wait for winter! It never really mattered how cold it was outside, I just wanted to play in the snow. Whether it was sledding, tobogganing, building a snowman or having a snowball fight with the other kids, I just wanted to be outside!
If you have fond memories like I do of playing in the snow when you were younger, you want your children to experience this same fun. You also want to be sure your child is playing with a fun, but safe winter toy. Since winter is only a few months long, let’s take a look at a few inexpensive but fun toy options available today.
Snow Tubes are an awesome winter snow toy and they cost less than $8! Light enough for kids to carry, but durable enough to hold up to plenty of down hill slides, snow tubes are definitely a toy to take a look at for winter fun.
Love to toboggan? Do you remember trying to drag that heavy toboggan up the hill? Boy I do! It was almost too much work to try to get up that hill for a 30 second ride – but what a ride it was. Today, there is a lightweight toboggan that your kids (and you) are sure to love. The lightweight Blizzard inflatable toboggan is easy for kids to carry, but manufactured of thick, heavy vinyl for durability. Winter fun for 1 or 2 people or kids with a price less than $20.
Snow sleds are another fun winter toy – but they can also be costly. If you’re not looking to spend $100 or more on a snow sled, the Summit snow sled may be just what you’re looking for. Heavy duty with hand grips, this inflatable snow sled will have you and your children flying down the hills. Cost is less than $20.
How about a winter toy that does double duty as a summer toy also? Almost two toys for the price of one – now that’s smart shopping. The Ski Storm inflatable Jet Ski is a great ride-on sled for a kid that does double duty as a pool toy in the summer. This toy is made quite well of durable vinyl and patented Weathertek for year-round fun and priced less than $25.
Are your kids ready to try a snow board, but you’re not ready for them to do so? The inflatable rocket ranger snow board is a great way for them to learn how to snow board. This snow board is made of sturdy vinyl with 2 built on boot straps, can hold up to 120 pounds and is recommended for kids 6 – 12 years old. With a price tag less than $10, this is a great way to determine if snow boarding is really what your children want to do.
Don’t forget the accessories that make your life easier – and safer. Snowboarders should wear protective gear such as helmets and today’s air pumps are affordable and won’t leave you gasping for air. Outdoor toys that are affordable but fun are the way to go this winter season.
Do you know why multipurpose toys are the best at promoting cognitive development in the youngest children? You will and know specific toys to choose after you read this article. Brain development in the youngest children is best fostered by unstructured creative play time vs. rote learning and memorization.
I recently came across an interesting article, “Rethinking Children’s Play” in the National PTA’s Our Children magazine. The article explains how children learn through play, then traces the changes in playtime and toys from the latter half of the 20th century until today, significantly noting that media-linked toys can be traced directly to FCC deregulation in 1984. Now TV shows and movies can explicitly market to children.
Think about the typical toys and action figures or video games linked to TV programs or movies. The biggest problem, per the PTA, is that many of these toys just tell children how to play and use the toys to imitate what they see on the screen.
So, which toys are the best?
You can get many of the best kinds of educational learning and cognitive development toys that facilitate your child’s intellectual, social and emotional development from websites that specialize in developmental expert-selected toys. Still, the best toys are those that can be used in a variety of ways, some of which your child will invent themselves.
Examples of unstructured, multipurpose toys include clay, blocks, balls, and pretend play toys like wagons, generic toy figures, stuffed animals and baby dolls–all of these encourage play that children can control and shape to meet their individual needs over time. The best thing is that some of these toys are also the most inexpensive or free (like stackable plastic containers and boxes around the house)!
It’s good to have educational play interactions with your little one, but also let them have regular, uninterrupted playtime (away from the TV or DVD player) and let them know that play is important by encouraging it every day.
Whatever you do, make thoughtful choices about the toys and media you introduce to your child — focus on ones that promote true playtime, allowing them the fullest range of freedom and creativity.
Best toys for kids 