Educational Toys...2 Top Picks For Christmas 2008

Since the first home computer was swept off the shelves, the electronic industry has been absolutely booming. Children are being taught very early how to type on a keyboard, how a cell phone works and how to use the remote control. In fact my 15 month old can do all 3. The concern of mine is that I don't want my children growing up to be video game nerds or lazy couch potatoes...but how do you separate new innovative ways of learning with something that is teaching bad habits? I guess that is something that each individual parent has to decide on, but for me it all has to do with the one big question...is what is being taught beneficial? If the answer to that question is yes, then I have no problem letting my child do it.

Furreal Friends are another winner in my book. Not only are these pets just absolutely adorable, and about as life-like as you can get outside of a Hollywood movie, but they also teach children responsibility. It turns out that these fun loving pets need to be taken care of (i.e. fed, groomed, played with, etc.). They look just like real monkeys, cats, dogs, ducks, etc, but they are actually robotic stuffed animals. Because of the responsibility aspect and the fact that I don't have to housebreak it, this too is an A+ in my book.

Teaching children to love learning is so important. I believe that starting at an early age is crucial, which is why I am doing everything in my power in instill in my oldest (she's 2.5 years old) that learning is fun...and it is even more fun if you are hands on, and actually doing something. Shows like Sesame Street and Blues Clues which claim to be educational, really seem like a genuine waste of time. If nothing more, I guess they do make for good babysitters while making dinner or cleaning the house, but other than that they really don't do a whole lot for our children. Two really fun and educational things we have done recently together are finger painting and making homemade play dough. Both were messy, and involved prep work and cleanup, but they are so much fun for kids to do. Both tasks force children to work on their fine motor skills and that is something every child can use a little help with.