by Pamel Johnson-Welsh

Created on: April 02, 2008

Children grow up so fast nowadays. It is in the best interest of our children if we can help educate them in fun ways. By doing so we can buy educational toys in lieu of just fun toys. Educational toys can be fun also. Therefore, when they are young, as toddlers, we can begin making playtime a learning experience. This allows our toddlers, in their early years, to develop more important skills of learning at a faster pace. Then if we waited until they actually were enrolled into preschool or began kindergarten.

Leapfrog, Playskool, Sesame Street are all familiar brand names of children's toy manufacturers. They manufacture toys that are fun, safe and educational. Many toddlers see these toys at the stores and ask for them. They want many of these toys since they recognize the characters that are put out by the manufacturers. Many of them are character-oriented that have adventures which are learning related. Characters such as Spongebob, Diego, Dora, Big Bird, Pooh, Elmo, Scooby-Doo, Barbie and the list goes on. The fact that the child asks for the toy is even all the better. Dora and Diego are bilingual, teaching the toddler to speak more than one language. What's wrong with that? Nothing, it is preparing children to be able to interact with children of other races. I find that refreshing and educational. I have a grand-daughter who is into both Dora and Diego. She can now say hello in five different languages, along with a vocabulary of many other multi-cultural words. She is not even three years old yet. I think it's wonderful.

That's why I believe that toddlers benefit from educational toys. Because they learn earlier on how to to count, the alphabet, colors, shapes and even to read a bit.These are important foundations that they can use when they go to kindergarten. To actually know these before they begin kindergarten will give them an advantage to excel even more. The same grand-daughter knows most of her alphabet and many of her colors. Her parents play a game with her alphabet refrigerator magnets. They have her find a letter on the refrigerator and bring it to them. If it's the correct one she gets a round of applause from everyone in the room. If not she's told to go try to find the letter again until she finds it. It is very entertaining for her and interactive. It is also allowing parents to interact with the toddler in many ways. Instead of just placing the child in a playpen with a drum to beat by him/herself. Interaction is a much needed part of a child's growing up. Loneliness and separation will only promote children to become introverts of society. It will also not promote a close relationship with the parent and child for the future. Where if the interaction occurs with the parent and toddler through the use of learning to read together. In the future there may be a much stronger relationship between the child and parent. Therefore, starting in the toddler years with educational toys can be a positive step in any child's life.

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