by R. Renee Bembry

Created on: October 26, 2007

Toys that entertain most children for extended periods may not be as stimulating for gifted children. Gifted children may easily become bored with everyday toys. Gifted children's toys must be entertaining, challenging, and thought provoking because gifted children are SO smart they need "smart" toys.

Observing and talking to gifted children, or any child for that matter, can help in determining what kinds of toys they like. Obtaining this information can be useful when sifting through the myriad of colorful toys, exhibited in stores, vying for attention.

Shopping for toys at toy stores may seem as reasonable as shopping for groceries in a supermarket. After all, toy stores have toys. Supermarkets have food. However, some toys are hard to find, even at specialty stores, so in searching for great toys for gifted children, be prepared to purchase them from different sources. Many stores like department stores, drug stores, warehouses, and supermarkets don't specialize in selling toys, but have toy departments. Sometimes these stores have toys you may not be able to find else where. Furthermore, it's a good idea to check online shopping centers; in particular, your favorite manufacturer. Toy manufacturers provide as much, if not more, information about their toys on their websites as they provide on their toy's packaging.

Quality counts. So when buying toys for gifted children, consider spending a few extra dollars when like items are available in order to purchase toys that are durable. Replicas of many popular toys i.e., dolls, cars, ponies, dinosaurs, tea sets, and so on, may not hold up if you get inexpensive ones. This isn't to say you should buy the most expensive. But pay attention to the maker and examine toys you're considering purchasing as closely as you can. If you cannot feel the toys because they are packaged, visually scrutinize the method in which its parts were assembled and the type of material the toys were made from to see if you believe they will be long lasting. No toy is good for a child if it breaks.

Ask yourself the following questions when seeking great toys for your gifted children:

> What does this toy do? Various toys like dolls, horses, race cars and such stimulate children's imaginations simply by their presence. That's because it's easy for a child to befriend a doll, pretend to ride a horse (no matter how small), and speed a die cast car around an imaginary track.

> Is it multifunctional? Multifunctional toys, like Magnetic numbers

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