Playing Is Educational

In the early years of a child, it is essential for them to learn their ABCs and phonics.  This will help them with the vocabulary and reading skills that are required to strive in their later years of school, college, and with their careers.

Sometimes the problem for children trying to learn their ABCs is that they lose interest.  We, as parents and teachers, need to be creative in the ways we teach them so that they don’t even realize they are learning.

There are many early childhood toys and products that can be used.  These products can range from electronic toys like the Alphabet Pal or Spin & Sing Alphabet Zoo to other develpmental toys like the EZ as ABC Purple Pebble Activity Set, Alphabet puzzles or board games like the Dr. Seuss ABC Game.

Whatever method you select to help your child learn their ABCs, realize that it is an essential part of their education and will help them for a lifetime.

So make it as fun as possible and enjoy yourself!

2008 will be a year to remember.  As the economy has turned against all of us financially this year, we all have to become wise about our money and purchasing decisions.  It is important to teach your child about financial responsibility.  When your child is young, teach him about the value of coins and dollars.  Teach him the math that goes along with the value: 10 pennies = 1 dime; 10 dimes = 1 dollar; etc… 

Pretend play store at your home.  Use groceries out of your cupboards or use pretend plastic foods, boxes, and cans.  Teach them about buying decisions and what is a good value and ones that are not.  You can be the cashier and your child can be the purchaser; allow him to pay for the groceries with play money.

Your child will learn the value of money and how to make buying decisions, which will be important in his future.  

If you want to have a little bit for fun with your children tonight, but you want to do something educational – consider playing Dominoes.

By playing with Dominoes, your children can increase their math skills, by learning about whole numbers and fractions in either pictorial or numerical forms.  They can also learn pattern recognition, color & shape recognition, and practice their fine motor skills.

So give Dominoes a try!

In a world full of electronic gadgets like TV, electronic hand-held games, and computers, sometimes us adults forget how important it is to allow our children to play with other educational toys.  Maybe we don’t even imagine how an ordinary toy is more then just entertainment.  For example, what is your first thought of when you hear of a lacing activity?  Did you just yawn? 

Well, lacing activities are very educational to your child.  By providing your child with a lacing activity, your child will increase his/her development skills like: hand-eye coordination; fine motor skills; and problem solving.  

Not only that, allowing your child to play with lacing activities can also help your child to learn about geometric shapes, colors, animals, and even the alphabet.  Check them out for yourself!

As winter approaches, children need indoor play activities that are fun and educational.  We recommend parachute games.  Playing parachute games encourages cooperative play.  Children will learn how to share and take turns. 

While playing with a parachute, children can increase strength in their shoulders, arms, and hands.  It will help with their sense of rhythm and also improve their language skills, perceptual motor skills, and listening skills.

When children work together they can make playing with a parachute fun!  Incorporate songs, rhymes, and movement activities to energize them.

Activities to play:

1) Play see-saw/tug-of-war while sitting down

2) Make waves with the parachute

3) Ball Roll – make the ball roll into the hole in the center of the parachute

4) Parachute Tag – call out a child’s name and have him run under the parachute before it comes down

5) Chute Ball – Place the ball on the parachute and throw the ball as high in the air as you can

Learning about human body parts can be fun and educational for children. 

There are many books, games, puzzle cards, skeletons and other plastic models (where the body parts can be removed, observed, and arranged back into their correct position) that can help your child to learn about his/her body.

There are also many educational body parts songs that they could sing.

Try these for example: 

“Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes”

(Touch Body Parts as You Sing)
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes, Knees and Toes,
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
Eyes, Ears, Mouth and Nose
Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes

“Me Complete”

I have ten little fingers and ten little toes
Two little arms and one little nose,
One little mouth and two little ears,
Two little eyes for smiles and tears,
One little head and two little feet,
One little chin, that’s me complete

“Brush Your Teeth”

This is the way we brush our teeth, brush our teeth, brush our teeth
This is the way we brush our teeth, so early in the morning.
Brush them up and brush them down, in little circles or round and round
Don’t brush them from side to side, for those sugar bugs will surely hide.

After a child is born, they are introduced to many new noises.  Just imagine all the sounds around your house, from the rhythm of the washing maching or dryer as you are doing laundry to the voices and sounds of their parents or siblings.  

At a young age, your child will start learning about rhythm and developing musical skills from their first rattle or scrunch toy. 

We all appreciate a good rhythm and good music. 

Help your child develop their musical skills.  Encourage them to play with different musical instruments like a horn, piano, drum, xylophone, or tambourine.  Who knows, your child might become a famous classical artist like Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, or Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, or a popular artist like Billy Joel, Eric Clapton, Bob Seger, or Celine Dion. 

Help your child choose a lifestyle of eating healthy and nutritious foods. 

Food nutrition and food portion size will play a large role in your child’s healthy life.  When they play with pretend foods, they will learn about the food groups and about healthy and nutritious foods.  Let them be creative with life-like plastic meat, vegetables, dairy food, and fruit.  Encourage them to make you dinner with a salad and fruit for dessert.  Help them to plan a dinner party for several guests or pretend guests.  This dinner could include a salad, an appetizer, an entree with a vegetable, and a dessert.  Food can be a fun thing for your child to play with, they could pretend to eat what they want. 

By definition: An educational toy is a toy designed to teach people, typically children, about a certain subject or help them learn a skill as they play.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Educational toy

Puzzles:

Puzzles can teach a child topics like ABC’s, colors, shapes, animals, and geography.  Puzzles can also help with hand-eye coordination, teach sizes & shapes, and problem solving. 

Board Games and Card Games:

Board games and card games can be used to teach things like counting, colors, and reading, to more complex things like communication skills,  logical thinking, and organizational skills.

Games & Toys:

Games and Toys can be very educational to children.  By playing with educational games and toys, children can learn physical skills, such ashand-eye coordination, fine motor skills, gross motor skills, and even texture.  They can also learn about things like animals, colors, and the human body.

Dramatic Play / Creative Play:

Let them dress-up or play puppet show theater with puppets and dolls.  This will stimulate them to role play and express themselves through character play.  They can learn about different foods and even money by playing with Pretend Playsets.

Wooden Play Structures:

Children love to play outdoors on wooden play structures.  Wooden play structures encourage children to be physically active and mentally active as they determine if and how they can perform specific skills.  Children are increasing their imagination as they soar through the sky on a swing and play around it.

It is important to keep our young children involved and playing – get them to play with educational toys.

Over 4000 years ago, magnets were discovered in northern Greece.  One of the first uses of magnets was in mariner’s compasses. 

Today magnets come in many colors, shapes, and sizes.  Children find playing with magnets addictive as they build 3-D images with Award Winning -Magneatos construction sets, magnetic construction sets, and magnetic art sets. 

Magnets will provide for an endless amount of entertainment while increasing creative play and imaginative play.