Educational Toys and Creativity

Most children have little trouble expressing their creativity. Just ask any mother who has had to clean crayons and markers off of a freshly painted wall. Providing toys that allow your child to get creative encourage imagination and allow her to learn by doing.

Creativity isn't just about artwork. It can be expressed in a number of ways. Here are some of the best toys for encouraging creativity in your child.

Building Toys

Blocks of any kind are great for kids of all ages. They can be used to build almost anything your child can imagine. Legos allow kids to make more durable masterpieces, but it's important to get the big ones for children who still like to put things in their mouths.

There are also other types of building toys, such as the magnetic K'nex, that allow greater flexibility and different ways to build. There are even kits that allow older kids to build their own remote control cars.

Art Toys

Drawing is a favorite activity for many children. You can encourage your budding artist by giving her toys that make it easy to express herself. Washable markers make messes more bearable. Magnetic drawing boards, Etch-a-Sketches, and other toys that allow drawing without using crayons or markers eliminate the mess altogether and are great for travel.

Finger paint is a favorite of young artists, but it can be messy. Letting your kids indulge in it once in a while is good for them, and with some preparation you can avoid any permanent damage. Smocks and lots of newspaper will protect their clothes and your table.

Musical Toys

Music is a wonderful learning tool for children, and it's even better when they make it themselves. You can find durable toy instruments for even the youngest budding musician. Babies love plastic tambourines, maracas and xylophones. Toddlers and preschoolers can play a kazoo or recorder. If your child expresses great interest in the piano, beginner piano lessons might be a good investment.

Children who love to sing might enjoy a karaoke machine. There are also microphones that do special effects so your little singer can sound like a pro. And there are lots of sing-a-long CDs, DVDs, and toys available.

Craft Kits

There are all sorts of crafts that kids can do. Kits that come with everything needed for a specific craft project make crafting easy. You could buy individual craft items and let your kids' imaginations take over.

Creativity comes naturally for kids. Giving them toys that help them express themselves is a great way to encourage them to do so. Kids who are allowed to be creative often have a greater interest in learning and as a result they are more likely to do their best in school and life.

Years ago, children did not have electronic toys and video games to play with. All they had were things like dolls and dollhouses, toy cars and jump ropes. No matter what toys they played with, they had to use their imagination to a certain extent.

Today, kids have all sorts of electronic toys to choose from. Even many books talk and allow children to interact with them. While there are benefits to these types of toys, it is still important to let a kid's imagination flourish. Here are some toys that encourage imagination and creativity, providing learning opportunities that many modern toys do not.

* Play-Doh - It has been around for decades, but Play-Doh has withstood the test of time. It can get messy, but letting your kids play with it can bring forth imagination like few other things can. Your child will make all sorts of things with it and you can help by providing tools that make interesting shapes and textures.

* Dress-Up Clothes - Playing dress-up is a great activity for kids. Providing a variety of costume pieces for boys and girls lets them design their own outfit. That can lead to pretending to be any number of people or things, and imagination is a prerequisite for pretending.

* Blocks - Blocks come in many shapes and sizes these days. Any of them are good for encouraging imagination. Old-fashioned wooden blocks have the added benefit of teaching kids how balancing works. Soft blocks are safe for smaller children. Legos interlock to allow children to move their creations from place to place. All of these allow children to build virtually anything they want with a little creativity.

* Dolls and Action Figures - Dolls and action figures that do not talk make it necessary for a child to put words into their mouths. That requires plenty of imagination. Your child can make up stories and scenarios featuring them and she might ask you or a sibling or friend to play the part of another doll or figure. If it is possible to change their clothing or use props with them, that's even better.

Imagination is not only a fun way to learn, it is also effective. While children may learn such things as letters, numbers and even phonics from electronic toys, they are no substitute for learning by doing. Imaginative play often leads children to figure things out for themselves and things learned that way are not soon forgotten.

Imaginative play also often results in a child asking questions that she might not have thought of otherwise. This gives the parent or caregiver a unique opportunity to teach her about things that she is specifically interested in. And it's no secret that children who are interested in learning learn better.