{"id":60837,"date":"2021-12-23T14:44:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-23T19:44:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/world.edu\/?p=60837"},"modified":"2021-12-23T14:44:21","modified_gmt":"2021-12-23T19:44:21","slug":"dont-fret-about-buying-the-right-toy-any-toy-is-educational-if-you-support-kids-in-their-play","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/world.edu\/dont-fret-about-buying-the-right-toy-any-toy-is-educational-if-you-support-kids-in-their-play\/","title":{"rendered":"Don\u2019t fret about buying the \u2018right\u2019 toy \u2013 any toy is educational if you support kids in their play"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\nIt\u2019s that time of the year again, and besides the new COVID-era concerns about retail supply chains comes the age-old question: what\u2019s the best educational toy to buy for the child (or grandchild) in your life?<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a vast range of toys that claim to stimulate learning, or foster creativity, or boost kids\u2019 STEM skills. The\u00a0US$94.7 billion global toy market<\/a>\u00a0offers a bewildering amount of choice, while parenting blogs warn against\u00a0\u201cone and done\u201d toys<\/a>, Instagram influencers make us feel like we don\u2019t measure up, and kids, being kids, pester us for whatever their friends have, or they\u2019ve just seen on YouTube.<\/p>\n

But here\u2019s a simple truth: you know your child (and your budget) better than anyone. And here\u2019s some reassuring advice: it doesn\u2019t matter whether you choose a prescriptive toy such as a chemistry set or science kit, or an \u201copen-ended\u201d toy such as building blocks or plastic bricks. Any toy can be educational when you play with your children and talk to them about what they are doing and learning.<\/p>\n

All you need to consider is what toys your child already has, what age they are, and what you think they would most enjoy playing with next.<\/p>\n

Favourite toys<\/h4>\n

Each year, the\u00a0Museum of Play<\/a>\u00a0in Rochester, New York, inducts toys into its hall of fame. This year,\u00a0sand<\/a>\u00a0was recognised, following in the illustrious footsteps of the stick, which was inducted in 2006.<\/p>\n

The full list includes Cabbage Patch dolls, Battleship, Risk, The Settlers of Catan, Mahjong and billiards, as well as the pi\u00f1ata, American Girl Dolls, Masters of the Universe and the Fisher-Price Corn Popper. One of my personal favourites, Uno, made it in 2018, and of course Lego is there, having been added in 2015.<\/p>\n

Lego is in fact a good place to start! The blocks are good for a wide age range, and you can either buy highly prescriptive kits that involve closely following a plan, or general sets containing random blocks for building something totally new and improvised. Or, if you prefer, you can buy various other types of blocks on the market, such as wooden or magnetic ones.<\/p>\n

Regardless of the specific type,\u00a0playing with blocks<\/a>\u00a0encourages children to plan, construct and experiment with their engineering creations. And, crucially, they can learn even more if you help them along the way.<\/p>\n

Parent power<\/h4>\n

While the children are playing with their blocks, parents or carers can play with them and engage them in conversation about the form and structure they are creating. Try using\u00a0positional and relational language<\/a>\u00a0to extend their vocabulary by posing questions such as:<\/p>\n