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February 1, 2005 22:32 - Simple Toys Still Rule The Day
Attention, parents ! Now you can feel good about not buying your child those latest supertoys. And here is why. The good 'ol simple toys are still simply the best. In fact, probably all child educators believe that the more "unsophisticated" the toy is, the better it is.
Why ?
- Simple toys enhance child's creativity and imagination.
- Simple toys require your child to design the play instead of just playing according to what the toy is supposed to do.
- Simple toys require your child to do the work, for instance to move the toy.
- Simple toys usually engage children for a long period of time because it can be played differently each time.
One such toy is the low-tech building blocks made by Best Lock which are going to be displayed at the American International Toy Fair. Read more ...
So next time you go shopping for child toys, remember this principle: that less is more.
Visit our website Best Child Toys for more information on choosing toys which are fun, safe and educational.
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February 3, 2005 06:44 - Bean bag toys may not be as safe as you thought it might be.
Which children don't like to play with bean bag toys ? Yes, these child toys are fun to play with and almost every child has them. But beware !
New study conducted by Good Housekeping Institute has found that some bean bag toys are not 100% safe. In fact, a couple of them came apart after some pulling and twisting, spilling all the beads which are choking hazard for young children. Read more ...
However, in any care, always put the safety first when buying toys for children. For instance, when buying stuffed toys which has pieces attached to them (such as wiggle eyes, nose, mouth and tongue), check whether these pieces are securely fastened. If you are thinking of getting stuffed toys for very young children, it is preferable to get the ones which have eyes, nose and mouth embroidered as a safety precaution. More about child toy safety here.
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February 3, 2005 06:54 - Furby's back and I-Dog is (going to be) here
This year looks like the year when children will be exposed to more and more cuttting-edge toys. To begin with, Furby, an interactive electronic pet will make a come back this year. This toy, when first introduced on 1998, was such a hit it was virtually sold out everywhere during the holiday season. According to Hasbro, the manufacturer, this year's Furby is smarter than the previous one. It can now express a full range of emotion and can talk in both English and Furbish.
This year will also be the first year for I-Dog, a version of I-Pod. It can wag its tail or dance when exposed to music.
It is expected that these toys will be a hit during the holiday season this year.Read more ...
As a parent, you may find that your child will nag you over the new Furby or I-Dog. However, before you get involved in Furby or I-Dog's shopping frenzy, it is best to stop and ponder over these two following questions: Are they great toys ? Do they worth the price (they are not cheap, you know) ?
To us, I-Dog and Furby are more of celebration of advancement of technology, not a toy. This is because they are programmed entertainment. Your child is expected to react to them, hence putting your child in a semi-passive role. Little of no imagination is required when playing with these toys. In addition, their capability as a toy are also limited by the 'program' they have. Once your child exhausts all the program these toys have, chances are these toys will no longer hold their attention.
Good toys are unstructured and open-ended, hence these toys encourage children to use them in many different ways. There is no right or wrong ways to use these toys. These toys awaken a child's imagination and creativity. Finger paints, blocks,and modeling clay all inspire a kid's imagination.
So will that make Furby and I-Dog bad toys ? Not really. Although they are not great in terms of play value, they are entertaining, for sure. And they are much better than the violent video games. So, the choice is yours.
For more information on how to choose a good toy when you toy shopping, click here,
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February 12, 2005 18:06 - Toy car recall and to-be-released toys.
Attention, parents ! The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and
New Stars Toy & Gifts Inc have announced a recall on two of their toy car products.
The recall is due to the presence of small pieces on those toys which can break
upon use, hence posing a choking hazard. Read the complete description of
the recalled toys here and check on your child's toy collection immediately.
If your child has them, remove the toys and bring them back to the
store where they were purchased for a refund.
Read more about safety precaution you should take prior to buying
a toy here.
As you may have known, American International Toy Fair will take place at the end of this month in New York. During this event, thousands of new toys will be on display and it's up to the toy retailers to pick and choose which toys will go to their store shelf this year. Let's take a peek on what the toy manufacturers have in store this year.
Binney and Smith, the company which makes Crayola, is going to display 11 new toys in this year's Toy Fair. As usual, this company will present new products which encourage open-ended activities and enhance child's imagination. In fact, Stevanne Aurbach, aka Dr. Toy, a toy analyst has said, "Binney & Smith had managed to stay relevant by presenting products that buck the trend. They've produced good, creative things not dependent on chips. I've always felt they're perfect in classic toys.'' Read more ...
At the other end of the spectrum, Hasbro hopes that their high-tech toys: Furby and I-Dog, will be a hit this year. In addition, this company is also planning to release a new learning console:ION Educational gaming system which boasts to be the first learning console that encourages both physical and brain activities. Read here for the complete list of this year's to-be-released-toys from Hasbro.
How about baby toys ? Small World Toys has announced to release more educational baby toys this year. These new toys will be marketed as part of its existing IQ Baby Line.
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February 20, 2005 09:01 - Another toy recall and more tech-toys on the way
Reef Rocker Infant Toy has been recently recalled by its manufacturer, Baby Connection and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission due to the breakage possibility of the toy which can spill the small beads inside it hence posing a choking hazard. This product has been sold nation-wide by Walmart. Anybody who has purchased this toy can return it to Walmart for a refund. Click here for a complete description of the toy.
More tech toys are on the way this year as more and more toy manufacturers give an 'electronic make over' on their existing toys. Thus, on top of newly-created tech toys such as I-Dog, you will also find an electronic Barbie and an interactive doll house. The toy manufacturers reason that children are more electronically inclined these days, and if the toy industries are going to win the war against the electronic industry, then adding a high-tech touch to the toys is a must. See the list of to-be-released tech toys here and here.
But are tech toys better than the oldie goldie simple toys ? Not necessarily. In fact, many child developmental experts treated the sudden jump in electronic toys with caution. They worry that such programmed entertainment will take the creativity and imagination away from a child. To me there is an added worry. If happiness of the modern children depends on the entertainment provided by electronic gadget, then they will not find simple toys entertaining. And that's because they will not know what to do with it. They will find anything which don't talk back to them are boring, not knowing that it is acceptable to create a pretend play. And we know that pretend play is good for child's development. More on pretend play here.
While this year your child will probably nag you over these tech toys, you can always exercise caution when choosing toys. Give them one or two tech toys if they can't be avoided. But always surround your children with more simple toys -- toys which require their imagination and are open-ended. Remember that your children benefit more from these simple toys.
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