Three Things to Consider When Buying Preschool and Kindergarten Educational Learning Toys

Back to School and it's Time to Think About Newoff the shelf. As an after thought - it is also a
Toys for Preschool and Kindergarten Children.good idea to rotate toys so children always feel
Excitement is in the air - its Back to School timethere is something new to play with.
and parents and educators will once again beginAs you select educational preschool and
searching for new quality educational learning toyskindergarten toys that are safe, easy to clean
for their toddlers and preschoolers.and age-appropriate remember that all children
Whether you are a parent or an educatorhave different methods of learning. Children do
selecting new toys for your preschool andnot need to be sitting at a desk to learn. You will
kindergarten age children is something to takeneed a variety of toys in a wide selection of
seriously. There are three important things Ishapes and colors to keep all your children from
believe we need to consider when selectinggetting bored. If you notice a child getting bored
toddler and preschool toys.with a certain toy it might be a good time to
In this article I will briefly define just what makesconsider pulling out a more advanced toy to see if
a toy an "educational toy", suggest three things tohe is ready for it.
consider in the selection of such toys and offerSeveral types of toys that are very popular with
three toy categories that I believe are of utmostyoung children and create stimulation include
importance as a choice for preschool toys.cardboard building blocks, 3d wood puzzles and
To the point, an educational toy is any toy thatwooden play sets. Not only are these toys safe
will "teach a child something good." Allowingand easy to clean they are reliable, and children of
children to play creatively, alone or in a groupseveral age groups can play alone or together to
setting, with a variety of carefully selected toysdevelop eye-hand coordination, social skills and
will greatly benefit your child. Children's "work" ismuscle strength.
play and selecting toys that spur their creativityImagiBRICKS is the trade name of some of the
and imagination will make a variety of toystoys that I personally believe in and sell. These
"educational."giant "brick" block toys that have a drool-proof
Imaginative children do not need fancy orcoating. These brick blocks have smooth, tight
necessarily expensive toys but their toys do needfitting seams and are easy to clean. A safe,
to be safe. Safely is one of the most commonquality cardboard set of blocks such as these will
things overlooked when selecting new toys forhold up well for many years of tough play. They
young children. Remember to read the labels andalso happen to be crush-proof making them a
be aware of the type of material the toy is madeblock I would recommend for preschools whose
of. If you are shopping online make sure you aretoys get a lot of use and misuse.
provided information about the durability of theWooden play sets such as A Day at the Zoo,
material, especially when selecting wood products.African Safari and Arctic Circle, sold at All I Can
The best type of wood for wooden puzzles andImagine - offer quality built toys for children 3up
play sets comes from the Rubberwood tree. Itsand are geared for creative imaginative play that
wood is very hard, non-splintering and verywill encourage your children to play together and
durable. Toys made from this wood are not goingincrease their social skills. Play sets make good
to break or splinter when dropped or chewed. Iftoys for preschools because there are lots of
the toy puzzle is painted make sure thepieces allowing several children to play together.
manufacture tells you that child safe paint wasAs they "work" together to create their own
used. It is also a good idea to make sure the"drama" they will learn to work together and
individual puzzle pieces have smoothly sandedproblem solve while, at the same time, you as a
edges so that there are no rough edges to hurtteacher or parent will have opportunities to guide
your child.their play to correlate with a new lesson.
Making sure a toy does or does not (dependingMy third and final toy category suggestion is the
on your child's age requirement) have small piecesever-popular 3d wooden puzzles. Providing a
that can be easily swallowed is another importantvariety of puzzles, a child's favorite toy, will meet
safety issue you must consider. Some pieces thattheir need for a variety of shapes and colors.
come with a particular toy or play set might needWhen playing with puzzles children -
to be pulled out and put away until your child is a- acquire eye-hand coordination
little older.- expand fine motor skills
Besides safety it is imperative we remember to- reinforce paying attention to detail
think about sanitation. This is especially important- foster your child's self-esteem
for preschool and kindergarten classrooms3d puzzles are intricately interlocked and are one
because many different children will be handlingof the best toys I can think of for helping a child
the toys. Consider whether or not the toy can belearn to stick to a task until it is finished. Even as
cleaned and sanitized without destroying the toy.adults we find it difficult to get up from a puzzle.
If there are many nooks and crannies that can'tWhen a child finishes his puzzle they will often tear
be gotten at you may want to select anotherit apart and begin all over. Because there are only
toy that has straighter edges.three - ten or so pieces in a 3d puzzle it is a wise
Wood is a popular material for lots of children'sidea to have several puzzles from a variety of
toys such as puzzles, trucks, and play sets. Again,categories so that your child will not become
a well-made wood toy, painted with child safebored.
paint, can easily be cleaned without any harm toPresenting puzzles to your toddlers is an
the wood. Another thing I especially like aboutinteresting teaching method to use when beginning
wood toys is that they have a "feel - good"a new lesson series; such as when introducing
texture everyone loves. Any time I pick up achildren to underwater life it is a good idea to
wooden toy I remember the joys of my youth.have many fish and sea life puzzles handy. Even
This is a good feeling to pass on to the nextquality 3d wood puzzles are affordable so it will be
generation.easy for all schools or parents to have a plentiful
The third and last attribute of a day care toy thatsupply on hand.
I'd like to present is that the children's ages beProviding many colorful visual "displays" in your
taken into consideration. No one wants his or herpreschool, kindergarten and at home will make
children to get injured from a toy that is toolearning fun and aide in your children's learning
advanced for their age or developmental stage. Idevelopment. Lesson planning will be enhanced for
think it is better to stay on the safe side and giveteachers and parents with the addition of several
a toy that is at or below his age to your child.new toys every month or so. Back to School -
In a preschool and kindergarten setting you willthe doors are open to another exciting year of
need toys of varying age groups so as youngerlearning fun. And, remember to think of safety,
children develop you will already have moresanitation and age appropriateness.
advanced toys in your inventory that you can pull