Best Educational Toys 2005
Getting kids ready for the new school year should be playful. There are lots of materials you can use and games you can play that reinforce important skills that do not involve flash cards or the Inevitable tears that they can produce!
For preschoolers and early school aged children choose:
- simple games that involve color, shape and simple matching skills such as lotto, dominoes.
- art materials such as crayons, clay, paint to develop fine motor skills needed for writing.
- construction toys that develop dexterity, language and math skills.
- pretend props that develop language, imagination and social skills.
For older school aged kids choose
- games that involve scorekeeping, strategy, and sportsmanship.
- art materials that call for fine motor tuning, patience and stick-to-it-ability.
- complex construction sets that call for problem solving, dexterity and following directions.
- science materials that invite exploration.
From low tech to high tech, there are many ways to make play more than fun. Happily, it turns out that something kids like to do so much is even good for them. play is "fun"damental to learning! The trick is in making good choices for your child.
Best Toy Stories for 2005
Put the play mats on the floor and plug Milton Bradley's Candy Land DVD into your DVD player and kids are ready for an active but not too fast moving game that gets them up off the couch …full story...
LeapFrog's Leapster L-MAX is still a great travel toy, but now there's a simple cable connection that will put Leapster games on your TV screen …full story...
It’s all the fun of a day at the carnival! Balloon Lagoon …full story...
Barbie is back in the movies this year …full story...
So many girls dream of being a ballerina — even the youngest ones. Now those dreams can come true …full story...
You already know those Bratz dolls are hip, trendy and totally put together! full story...
They’re back in a big way this year – and better than ever! Cabbage Patch Kids …full story...
Who’d have thought that one of the biggest novelty songs of the disco era would become a classic preschool hit? E—L—M—O …full story...
Watching TV just got more interactive and more educational. InteracTV … …full story...
You don’t need a console to bring home videogame excitement. Ms. Pac-Man TV Games …full story...
Nintendo DS revolutionizes the way games are played. With dual screens and touch-screen technology, wireless communication and built-in PictoChat software you have the power to draw, write and send messages wirelessly…full story...
Ultimate competition and ultimate thrills! Nitro Battlerz …full story...
Remember the craze these critters caused the first time around? Now the original virtual pet is back and better than ever. Tamagotchi Connection …full story...
It’s a kid’s personal video player. VdeoNow Color …full story...
Even the youngest kids are fascinated by video games, but sometimes they are just too small to play. No more! VTech V.Smile …full story...
The Wow Wee RoboSapien, a full function fast moving robot minion suitable for all your world domination needs …full story...