Friday, July 10, 2009

Kids can Sometimes be the Best Judges

Kids are fascinated and attracted to toys. Whether in a store, on television or through watching other children playing. Either way toys play a major part in a child's educational and developmental growth. However, a child's fascination for toy does not mean that all toys are good. How many times have you heard a child say while in a store or while watching television, "Can you get me that toy" or "I have always wanted that toy". Often times parents will purchase a toy for their child solely based on a fascination without finding out more information concerning the toy or not being able to discern between their child's fascination or true interest in a particular toy. The interesting thing is, it does not take long for a child to determine whether a toy is fun or boring, does it?

There are two things that parents can do that can help prevent them from purchasing toys that end up in the corner gathering dust. First, most toy manufactures as well as various news and consumer agencies use children to test toys. Parents can do a little research to find what toys are the most popular as well as age appropriate. However, parents must keep in mind that children have individual likes and dislikes, so this process will not always guarantee that their child will find a particular toy fun and entertaining.

The second way that parents can learn the difference between fascination and interest is simply by introducing educational toys into their child's lives at infancy. Research has shown that the brain develops at an incredible rate during infancy by increasing approximately 60% in size in the first year. So how does this give parents an advantage when it comes to purchasing toys that their children will enjoy?

Introducing educational toys to your child during this crucial period gives your child's brain a "head start". Nerve cells called neurons connect to each other to make circuits that enable the brain to think, do and experience more things. Overall, parents will come to know which toys will stimulate, challenge and entertain their children as they grow. In a sense, parents will learn from their children as they help them grow because, "Kids can sometimes be the best judges".

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