Electronic Educational Toys; Are They Over Stimulating Our Kids?

Since playing is so vital to a child's healthy development and learning, parents and grandparents are faced with the dilemma of which toys to buy and which to avoid.

Many educational toys have evolved into impressive electronic gizmos and gadgets that prompt a child to supply one thing; entering a missing letter or number for example. Suddenly flashing lights and digital tunes reward the child for supplying the correct answer. There is little or no inventive thinking involved, since the toy is directing the activity.

There's a plethora of electronic toys on the market....PC games for almost every age level, video games, hand held electronic games, even laptops for toddlers; all with powerful stimulation. Eventually a child becomes tolerant of the initial stimulation, and requires even more stimulation to retain the same level of interest. The end result of this constant stimulus is shorter attention spans.

Naturally, with today's clever marketing, these are exactly the types of toys your child will request. And though they do have educational value, these toys should be intermingled with those that promote creativity, improve motor skills, or encourage social interaction.

Enhanced play value stems from the educational toys that allow the child to direct the activity. This includes those traditional tried and true toys that have stood the test of time, despite their lack of bells and whistles.

Toys that encourage imaginative play will assist children in working out their own ideas, while learning new skills. These types of toys include building blocks, toy vehicles, dolls, dress up clothes, things that recreate real life experiences or imaginary worlds, like doll house or castles and play kitchens.

Creative arts encourage self-expression as well as developing fine motor skills. Things like finger paint, crayons, scissors, glue, modeling clay and sidewalk chalk are ideal for fostering creative play.

Playing board games will aid in developing strategy and sequencing in addition to learning about rules and cooperation. There are quality board games available for every age group from toddlers to teens....from Hi-Ho Cherry-O to Backgammon.

Ultimately it is up to us to find a healthy balance between electronic toys and the educational toys we know will allow them to learn through creative and physical play.