by Monica Tunnell

Created on: November 04, 2008

It's holiday time again, and I have stepped out early this year. I have a goal to achieve you see. I must produce the most vast array of unusual, engaging, educational toys that each recipient has seen. These don't necessarily have to be the most expensive, but they do need to be impressive and well thought out. I see so many toys go by the wayside, and I want to make sure that mine get played with amply and if I'm lucky and my full purpose is served, they will get passed down for generations. This is not an obsession, nor an unreasonable goal, but instead, the result of the knowledge I have obtained regarding the developmental importance of toys. Toys are critical to a child's development. Pleay is essential to healthy growth.

Off I go, on my quest for the perfect toys. First, I am looking for an infant toy that has some staying power and some value that encompasses more than auditory or visual keys. This is no easy task if my first step is a major toy retailer since that is all they basically carry. But if I go a bit off of the beaten path and look at some of the specialty toy stores out there, I might find something that is unique. I am looking for something that is durable, colorful and exciting. Not exciting for me, because I am not the one playing with the toy. It does not need to have an electronic component, in fact it shouldn't. What educational toys are good for this? Well, I find many that I think are great. I have to test out each and every one. I finally decide on my favorite, a Baby Whoozit. Why, you ask, do I choose this over all of the many other choices? It is durable, colorful, and engaging. It is unique and lasting. It is a winner with both me and the baby I purchase it for.

Next, it is time for the toddler in my family. Now, since toddlers require certain skills to develop that are more advanced than that of an infant, even more time must be invested in this task. Toddlers need to move, they need to be part of the action and they need to have some semblence of control over their world. For this reason, I most always gravitate to the same toy family for this group. Thomas the Train wins. Now, the toddler I am shopping for is a boy, but I have purchased this same line for girls and they go just as crazy for it. There is a definate advantage to having a Thomas train table set up in your house. The most important reasons are the developmental ones of course. This toy allows a child to create an imaginary play scenario where they are acting out

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