Educational Toys

Educational Toys for Preschoolers

Preschoolers are curious about everything, including nature, transportation, music, art, and housework. Many are also fascinated by more academic pursuits, such as letters and numbers. The best toys build on this natural curiosity. Some excellent learning toys for preschoolers include:

• Ten Little Dinosaur Puppets (ages 2 and up) - Learning opportunities are limitless with adorable, award-winning finger puppets. Playing with an adult or other children, preschoolers can practice counting, singing, fingerplays, and motor skills.
• Ready Set Learn! Jump & Dance Music Set (ages 3 and up) - This musical toy gets the kids up and moving, practicing both their motor and listening skills.
• Paz's ABC Learning Desk (ages 3 and up) - Kids practice letter recognition, number recognition, spelling, and math with this musical, animated toy.
• Delux Wooden See and Spell (ages 4 to 7)

Recommendations for School-Age Kids

Educational toys for kids of elementary age must be slightly more sophisticated. After all, these kids often spend hours every day in a school setting, so they don't want to spend their play time learning. Learning toys for this set must disguise the education as fun. That is why science kits are often a big hit with this group. Some recommendations for school-age kids include:

• Discovery Butterfly Canopy (ages 4 and up) - Although not technically a toy, the Butterfly Canopy is definitely educational-- and fun. Kids learn about the life cycle of a butterfly firsthand as they watch their caterpillars grow up and become butterflies.
• Discovery Ladybug Land (ages 4 and up) - This award-winning offering from the Discovery Channel lets kids watch larvae become ladybugs.
• Discovery Remote Control Solar System (ages 6 and up) - Hang the solar system from your child's ceiling! The remote controlled planets actually rotate around the sun. The system also lights up.
• Interactive World Globe (ages 5 to adult) - This high-tech globe connects to your personal computer for the latest news and weather reports. Travel games, geography quizzes, currency converters, and other location-specific games and activities will entertain your geography buff for hours. For internet safety, parents have the option of setting limits and filters.

Educational Toys for Tweens and Teens

Many tweens and teens have already discovered a passion for a certain subject, such as math, history, or science. Educational toys that enhance that passion are popular with this age group. Some recommendations are:

• The Young Scientists #2: Weather Station (ages 7 to 12) - This multiple award-winning science toy allows young scientists to create several weather-related science projects.
• Discovery Whodonit? Forensics Lab - Kids can conduct their own tests on hair, blood, and fibers on this at-home forensics lab offered by the Discovery Channel.
• CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Forensic Entomology Kit (ages 10 and up) - This kit provides everything your child needs to study insects. Just add bugs!
• It's My Business (ages 8 and up) - This innovative idea from Discovery Kids gives tweens and teens everything they need to plan their own homebased business.