Educational toys help children use their imagination, creativity and critical thinking skills to learn new concepts that will help them become well-rounded adults. When children spend too much time watching unproductive TV shows and playing video games, they’re not stimulating their minds properly and this is detrimental to their mental and social development. It’s for this reason that you should incorporate fun educational games and other teaching supplies into your child’s universe. Here are five important things to consider when buying educational toys to ensure they will be well received. Let the fun and learning commence!
1. Think About the Age of the Child
When buying educational games, you want to find products that are best suited for the child’s age and level of understanding. If your child is nine years old and you want her to learn how to count money and write out a check, you would look for math games which relate to counting money. Or if your child is six years old and you want to teach him how to write in cursive handwriting, purchase some teaching supplies which help children practice just that. Not rocket science, but identify a need then match it with a product suited to their age for best results.
2. Consider the Child’s Interests
Kids are people too! Use your child’s interests to guide your purchases and select the educational toys most likely to keep them engaged. If your seven-year-old son loves to cook with you in the kitchen, get an educational game that helps children understand nutrition and identify which foods belong in the basic food groups that are designed by the USDA. A simple, yet effective strategy.
3. Ensure the Educational Toy Quality
I know the toy chest Sally got for Christmas has a lot of room left to fill but this should be about quality, not quantity. Be sure to research different brands of educational games to ensure that they’ll be best suited for your child’s needs and learning style. Read customer reviews of educational toys for your child’s age and look at what reviewers wrote on the quality, price and whether the children benefited from the toys or not. In this age of social media the consumer-generated data is out there – all you have to do is look.
4. Consider Your Budget
While you should never sacrifice quality for price when buying toys or teaching supplies, you should look for games that are within your budget. Many online and brick-and-mortar retailers offer regular sales and discounts on best-selling items. A little extra leg work will keep your purchases affordable and still keep your children entertained for hours.
1. Make Sure the Educational Toys are Fun!
Fundamental facts concerning what kids are likely to respond well to should always be on your mind while shopping. Children are often stimulated by bold and bright colors or patterns and they love to play with toys that have weird or cute sounds. You can spend big bucks on a gadget that seems to you like the coolest thing since sliced bread, but if your child tires of it quickly and it begins to collect dust they are no better off. When you purchase educational games or toys, try thinking like a child for a few seconds and make sure the product is FUN!
Beyond the Blackboard is pleased to announce the addition of award-winning workbooks and activity books from Summer Bridge to our online store. Designed to limit or eliminate “learning loss” which many students experience over their summer vacations, Summer Bridge products have been proven to battle the dreaded “summer setback”. Parents and teachers alike will want to take advantage of these cross-curricular workbooks which are divided by grade levels.
Summer learning loss is a very tangible disadvantage for students who let their skill saws get rusty during the hazy, lazy days of summer. From the website:
It’s become clear that these early patterns of out-of-school learning have immense implications on the development of our children that impact both academic and physical growth. Organizations, teachers, and parents who provide children with opportunities to reinforce basic skills and prepare for the coming year give those students a significant advantage.
So don’t sit back and let summer learning loss become a reality for your children or students. The Summer Bridge website includes workbook samplers, assessments and more information which may help you decide to mix in a little math refresher with all the fun in the sun come this June. Once you’re in agreement please have a look at our our full collection of Summer Bridge activities.
Beyond the Blackboard co-founder, Jean Boylan, was interviewed by 9NEWS yesterday regarding Colorado’s proposed “Sales Tax Holiday”. Aimed at families with children heading back to school, the holiday would be held in August and see school supplies and clothing going completely untaxed for a short period of time. This is to encourage people to buy certain vital educational supplies and to help lower the overall cost by completely waiving the state sales tax.
The two-week window during which most back-to-school purchases are made – and when the tax holiday is proposed to take place – has only about a 50/50 chance of passing. Boylan remarked that this ratio “… speaks volumes to how we value education…”, and her optimism is understandably guarded. Please see the full segment below.
How do you feel about Colorado’s potential “Sales Tax Holiday”? Will an increase in sales offset the estimated 5.8 million loss in tax revenue? Please share your opinions in the comments.
I recently read an encouraging opinion piece by Laura Peterson, founder of Hands to Hearts International – a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health and well-being of orphaned and vulnerable children and economically disadvantaged women around the globe. The article appeared on StatesmanJournal.com and discusses the extreme importance of early education and healthy child development prior to three years of age. She mentions an early learning symposium recently held by Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber where he referenced some new and important research findings.
“Science is finally catching up to what those of us in the children’s mental health field have known for years and I’m thrilled that policymakers are responding. If a child is broken before the age of 3, research suggests they can’t be unbroken.”
There is hard data to support the fact that 70% of a child’s brain development occurs in the first 3 years of life. That obviously makes biological factors like nutrition absolutely crucial with education and a healthy, nurturing environment running a close second. Parents should consider the possibility that waiting until age 4 or 5 to begin teaching fundamental skills like reading may be detrimental. How do you feel about having deliberate educational plans in place for children 3 and and under?
As a kid, I always loved forts – built in the living room, over the clothes lines, under the stairs – anywhere I could find to create a little space of my own. I only wish I had owned a set or two of Ogobild Rods and Balls (also known as the “Pod”) while I was young enough to truly enjoy them. With this great set of 12 balls and 30 rods, you can build lots of different shapes and sizes. Simly throw a bed sheet over the finished creation and voila! Your child instantly has the coolest fort in the neighborhood.
For even more fun, you can turn these pieces into a ball and roll it around the yard, crawl through it as part of an obstacle course, or maybe even make an agility piece for your dog! Your child’s imagination will come up with even more ideas and I would LOVE to hear them! Learn more about the Ogobild Pod, send us photos of your kid’s early architectural creations or share your experiences with the product below in the comments.
Submitted by Sarah Morris on behalf of Primrose Schools, who’s proven curriculum makes for one of the best preschools in the country!
What parent wouldn’t like to help their child develop into an accomplished reader? Reading stories with your child at home is vital to foster a love of reading, and research has shown that a child who is read to is more likely to achieve success at school. After reading this article, you will know what it takes to create a fun and engaging literacy-rich environment within your family.
When should a parent introduce books to a child? A love of reading can begin as early as infancy. Research suggests that one of the most important things a parent can do to develop a child into a reader is to read with the child from a very early age. Making time to read together is a must to raise an active reader.
As a child grows, she will begin to “read” favorite books aloud. A child may retell a familiar story or make up an entirely new and different story to go along with pictures. This activity marks a significant stage in literacy development as the child is now able to demonstrate she knows books communicate stories.
How can a parent make reading a habit? Make a daily commitment to sit and read with your child. Keep books readily available in the car or in your bag to fill down time, like long car rides or waiting at a restaurant, with reading. To make the most impact when you read books to your child, use an exaggerated tone and point to the pictures on the pages. And remember, reading is free activity! Borrow books from the library to read together at home.
Selecting the right books is another key factor in developing young readers. The best books are those with engaging, distinct illustrations and those written in a simple, rhythmic language. The chance for successful reading improves when you select books that you, along with your child, will enjoy. Parents tend to read enjoyable books in a more animated, connected manner. Children tend to choose the same books to read over and over again, and this is another reason to make sure the books you choose are ones you will continue to enjoy to read to your child. If you child is school-age, ask her teacher to recommend a list of enjoyable books.
Reading books with a child is one of the most powerful ways to develop and support a child’s understanding of language and ability to communicate. To develop a successful reader, read books to your child on a daily basis, encourage your child to participate in the story-telling process, and surround your child with a variety of age-appropriate books. An appreciation of literature will naturally occur when reading takes place in pleasant manner that conveys enjoyment to the child. Grab a book and begin reading to your child today!
