by Mel Bergen

Created on: February 05, 2007   Last Updated: May 19, 2007

Childen do not "need" educational toys. Children don't need any particular kind of toy. They can take rocks and twigs from the yard and play quite happily! What they do need is you - to invest your time playing with them and to teach them the basics yourself. While there are hundreds of toys out there that purport to teach the alphabet, phonics, numbers, basic math, and reading, the number one thing that helps your child learn all of these is you. The toys will help give you visual and audio support, but they are not needed.

Some of the most educational toys out there are simple alphabet blocks and magnetic letters. You and your child can make words with them, sort them into groups, or just review what sound each letter makes as you place it on a tower or shape. You can count them and add or subtract from the piles. Starting this process very early can lead to big rewards when your child is ready to start reading and it can be a great deal of fun, too. Coloring books, simple mazes, and empty notebooks to fill with their own creations can encourage your child to exercise the small muscles in their hands so that, when it comes time to start writing, they can control the pencils and crayons to make letters and numbers that they (and their teachers) can read.

This is not to say that learning toys are useless or that they are not worth the money. Some of them are very good, indeed. The key is to remember that your child will be more open to learning with these toys when you show interest as well. What children need is a role model and a cheerleader for their education, whether it's at home with their games and toys or throughout school with their homework and their papers. If you are excited about what they are learning then they will be, too.

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