That little invention called the iPad has taken over the universe, especially when it comes to learning games for kids. But we believe that nothing beats good old-fashioned play (with real toys, not virtual ones!). Marcia Gresko, the head of product development at Educational Insights (she’s a teacher and a mom, too), handpicked her favorite toys from our sale, and revealed some secrets to helping your kids learn and grow.
Design and Drill, $20
“Kids explore colors, shapes, counting, and creating patterns – all while developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.”
Hot Dots Jr. (alphabet, phonics, and counting), $39
“Ace, the talking teaching dog, offers self-correcting, independent learning. The phonics and alphabet sets reinforce beginning reading skills for school success – learning upper- and lowercase letters, beginning and ending letter sounds, and rhyming word patterns. The numbers and counting set reinforces number recognition, number words, number order, and more for numbers 1 to 10.”
MicroPro Elite, $60
“Young scientists use this 98-piece kit to investigate the hidden world of miniscule things around them. They learn to use a microscope, hone their powers of observation, and get a head-start on their school science learning.”
Blurt!, $20
“With 1800 definitions, two levels of play, and ‘everyone plays’ game rules, Blurt! is a fun family vocabulary-building game that sharpens players’ listening skills, too.”
Bean Bags (numbers, alphabet, shapes), From $15
“Young learners are active learners. Bean bags encourage hands-on (literally) learning of basic skills (letters, numbers, shapes), as well as balance, coordination, and playground skills – like throwing and catching.”
