Without the options of 90 TV channels and unlimited electronic game play, great men and women from the past spent much of their time reading books, playing imaginative games, observing nature, and exploring the world around them. The lives of our children can be enriched in a similar way, with the added benefit of educational toys, games, and other learning products available to us today.

Childhood is a magical time when many lifelong abilities, attributes, and habits are developed. Finding toys and games that enlighten, inspire, and educate can help our children to "have fun" and learn at the same time. So, how do you pick toys and games that teach? 

Often toys we find today are easily broken or easily set aside and forgotten - we've all seen the toy that our child had to have, but was bored with it after a few minutes of play. Alternatively, a high quality educational toy or game is one that children find engaging and interesting. This type of toy is one that children will come back to repetitively - it will last long enough to become a favorite! 

Educational toys combine fun and learning by stimulating creativity and imagination, expanding the mind through exploration and discovery, promoting critical thinking and problem solving, improving dexterity, and providing practice in basic skills. They are designed to challenge, motivate, and reward while helping to build self-esteem and confidence to master new tasks. Educational toys that are targeted to specific skills corresponding to particular age groups are called developmental toys. 

Some toys that are labeled "educational" are more educational than others. For example, there are a lot of high-tech toys on the market, a few of which are nothing more than electronic flashcards. The best educational toys are not necessarily electronic; many don't even require batteries. Products that encourage learning through play include: puzzles, games, art and craft kits, science and nature sets, blocks, dolls, and many classic favorites. Traditional educational classics include: chess and checkers which promote logical thinking, Monopoly which teaches money management, Scrabble which reinforces spelling and vocabulary, building blocks that provide practice in dexterity, Play-Doh that promotes creativity, and K'Nex which can be used to construct anything from storybook scenes to models of famous structures.

Between all of the high-tech equipment and other after-school options that are available these days, people tend to forget that children still have an innate need for good old-fashioned "make-believe," which is open-ended, imaginative play. This means plenty of time away from the TV, computers, video games, and organized activities. It's okay for children to be bored sometimes, because this gives them a chance to dream, to wonder, to imagine, and to invent things on their own. Remember that creative geniuses such asThomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Frank Lloyd Wright made significant contributions to mankind simply by thinking "outside the box."

When choosing an educational game or toy you must consider whether it is appropriate for the child's age, intellectual development, abilities and interests. Don't feel that you have to follow the age labels, because these can be misleading. Look for products that are sturdy and safe, simple enough for the child to operate on his/her own, and which are challenging but not frustrating. Creative and educational gifts include: puppets, activity toys, musical and rhythm instruments, building blocks, puzzles, board games, K'Nex, Erector Sets, marble runs, building sets, chemistry set, science experiment kits, electronic circuitry kit, kids cooking set, play store with cash register, craft kits, art supplies, easel and paints, modeling clay, etc. 

You can pick the perfect toy based on your understanding of your child's interests and abilities and finding the right toy options!

Did You Know? Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect, received a set of wooden blocks from his mother when he was nine years old. These blocks were in the shapes of cubes, rectangles, cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres. Friedrich Froebel, founder of the first kindergarten, invented the blocks. While playing with the blocks, young Frank learned mathematical concepts such as geometry, shape, structure, and pattern. He observed how big shapes are made from small parts. This educational toy inspired him in his future profession. Many years later, John Lloyd Wright, son of the renowned architect, invented Lincoln Logs after seeing the construction technique that his father used for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo, Japan.

Contributed by Ruth Morrison, the owner of Funfinity located at 164 South Main Street in Springville and www.funfinity.com.