• scissors
    November 4th, 2010adminToys

    Childrens jigsaw puzzles will never grow old. They’re too much fun and they teach well, too – which proves the very salient point that learning is always more rewarding than just chucking stuff around. Watch a child with the latest movie tie in toy and watch a child with a jigsaw. You’ll see exactly what we mean.

    The thing about jigsaw puzzles is, they’re as tactile and interesting as a collection of pieces as they are rewarding as a finished picture. When a child starts playing with a jigsaw puzzle, he or she is just as interested in the individual shape and milling of the pieces he or she is using, as he or she is in the potential of those pieces to be put together to form a finished article. Then some kind parent or older kid points out that childrens jigsaw puzzles are made of several of these interesting shapes, which can be fitted together… the wonder on the child’s face is a pleasure to behold. He or she will spend hours working out which bit fits with what other bits, until the picture is finally complete – and then quite happily smash the thing up in order to do it again.

    No wonder childrens jigsaw puzzles are still classics. It’s all about maintaining the interest of the player – in a way that a lot of modern toy ideas simply can’t match. A child learns several very important things from playing with a jigsaw puzzle: things that translate as learning skills throughout their formative years. That’s a sort of interaction that your latest cuddly toy TV character can’t give. Example: when a child breaks up a jigsaw puzzle, and tries to put it back together again in different ways, he or she starts to learn how to differentiate between right and wrong solutions. Childrens jigsaw puzzles work by fitting shapes together in a particular way. When a child breaks one up and tries to put it together differently, he or she has used play to explore the properties of the jigsaw – and to realise that although the individual bits are made to fit with each other, there’s only one “right” way for them all to fit.

    That kind of mental training comes in extremely handy in later life, during maths classes, for example, or out doing the shopping. Money, after all, is just a pocket full of little pieces that can be put together to make a single sum – and you have to learn the ways to make the right sum if you’re going to be any good at budgeting when you grow up. Childrens jigsaw puzzles impart the beginnings of that skill.

    Children are often seduced by the bright colours and loud noises of the latest “fashion toy”. Any parent will tell you, though, if you watch: they always go back to the puzzle toys. The jigsaws, the shapes in the boxes – the games and things that get their minds working. It’s common knowledge that the logic of a child is much purer than that of an adult – their predilection for keeping useful learning toys classic suggests that the tastes of a child are more sophisticated, too.

    By Shane Piter

  • scissors
    November 4th, 2010adminToys

    Do toys played with as a child influence the career path that boys and girls will follow later in life? History shows that many of the world’s brightest men and women, whose names light up every vocation, first exhibited their brilliance during play time when they were children. Giving your children playthings that create excitement, interaction and work on fundamental skills as toddlers and young children does have a lasting impression. The gift of pedal car or an interesting play kitchen just might inspire the worlds next renowned chef or automobile designer. The gift of a toy piano or an enormous set of building blocks just might trigger talent in a child. Playthings can shape the career path for boys and girls. In addition to it, contradictory to the standard course of action, that the a play kitchen will make the perfect gift for the boy while the building blocks and construction toys will delight the girls. It is a known fact that there are many famous men who perform extraordinary in the kitchen and at the piano. Boys and girls in any of these fields can have fantastic careers later in life.

    Why do toy pianos have educational value? The answer is because not only are they are fun to play but your child has the opportunity to be creative and learn musical notes and chords. The piano has keys that are properly spaced for little hands and they have full octave spans with half notes. Toy pianos have been a favorite choice by parents for years because they are so beneficial to a child. Studies indicate that students achieve higher math scores in school because they have been introduced to music at a young age. Toy Pianos help develop an ear for music. If you don’t think a piano is right for your child there are other musical play things available such as drum sets, guitars, harps, and harmonicas.

    Why do blocks have educational value? Building blocks have always ranked high on the list of must have toys in the classroom and at home. Even thought they are considered a basic toy, they will teach and inspire youngsters. Building Blocks are a fantastic for those with a desire to construct, build and figure out how things go together. Block play allows toddlers to build any number of interesting buildings or a whole community consisting of houses, schools, churches, banks and post offices. Imagination has no boundaries when using blocks to build cars, trains, and so much more. By learning to stack, sort, and count contributes to the educational value achieved from playing with this item.

    Education value for play kitchens is perfect for teaching hand-eye coordination, problem solving, social interaction, creativity, and small motor skills. When used in a classroom or at home children have fun as they role-play their parents actions and develop their self-confidence.

    Make your kids happy and buy them educational toys! Children are fascinated with toys and so are parents. It is toys with educational value that inspire our children to be creative and to think out of the box. Buy toys that inspire creative thinking and you might just have the next superstar on your hands. These types of playthings should help kids grow and develop into self-confident young adults.

    By Dianna Boris