by Karin Becton

Created on: May 21, 2009

Toy Review: Noah's Ark

Noah's Ark toys are based on the Biblical story of the great flood from which only Noah and his family, and a male and female of every animal, were spared. The toys are popular with both parents and children. Many of the Noah's Ark toys are brightly colored and attractive enough to leave out on a bookshelf or atop a child's dresser.

Parents or teachers wishing to teach Bible stories to children will appreciate a Noah's Ark toy as a prop or visual aid. The toys can be used to stimulate imagination, vocabulary, matching and counting. Children love it because of the pairs of cute animals and the open-ended, creative play time the toy encourages. The animals can even be used separately for other forms of creative play, such as a zoo or a safari.

Noah's Ark toys can be made of plastic, plush, or wood. They range in prices from about $10 up to $100, depending on the material used, quality, and size. Most of these toys have storage space inside the ark for the animal and people. Some of them are puzzles and some are shape sorters. The Original Toy Company has a Two by Two Noah's Ark memory game.

One of the most popular Noah's Ark toys is the Fisher-Price Little People Noah's Ark for ages 2-4. We have this toy in the preschool class I teach. The kids love it. The animals are just the right size for small hands. The ark is a little hard to keep together, but over the years we may have lost a few of the pieces.

When my son was little, in the early '90's, he had a wooden Noah's Ark toy. There are several wooden versions available today, such as the Noah's Ark block set by HABA, Noah's Ark and animals by the Toy Workshop, or the shape sorter ark by Melissa & Doug. The Learning Journey has a Noah's Ark Puzzle. The child can match the animal to the correct shape on the side of the ark, or load the animals into the bottom of the ark by using the shape sorter.

Noah's Ark comes in a soft stuffed fabric version by Alma's Design. The animals are especially cute in this one, which includes two smiling white cats with red bows. Excalibur Products has a plush version with six adorable 7" animals. However, there is only one of each kind.

Whichever kind you choose, I think you will be happy with your purchase of a Noah's Ark toy. If I am blessed to become a grandmother some day, a Noah's Ark is sure to be one of my grandchild's first toys!

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