Children's Educational Toys

Separating truth from marketing in children's educational toys

The verdict is still out on children's educational toys. Some teachers and child psychologists are not convinced that educational toys can make children any smarter. Yet children's educational toys is the fastest growing segment of the U.S. toy industry, with no signs of slowing down. In our guide to children's educational toys, we let you know which educational toys are worth the name.

Books

Most teachers would agree that books remain the ultimate children's educational toys. There's evidence to back that assertion up. Recent studies have shown that students with higher levels of reading proficiency are more likely to graduate from high school and pursue a college education.

So which children's books make the best children's educational toys? That depends on age. Child psychologists recommend interactive reading, so while audio books can be helpful for entertaining kids, they don't always make the best educational toys.

Reading to your child and teaching your child to read is probably the best early educational decision you can make. Illustrated fairy tales are great educational toys for young kids, while current classics such as the Harry Potter books can become educational toys for older children.

Are videos educational?

One segment of the children's educational toys market that has come under attack recently is educational videos. Part of the problem is that there are no standardized criteria to determine what qualifies a toy or video as educational. Some child psychologists have even gone so far as to call the children's educational video industry a scam.

What are the facts? The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years of age should not be exposed to movies, television, or computers. If that seems surprising, it's probably because parents have come to regard television sets as both babysitters and the ultimate children's educational toys.

As for older children, the AAP recommends no more than 1 or 2 hours of television per day. For young children, interaction with a parent is essential to get the greatest benefit from children's educational toys, be they videos or non-media products. So if you choose videos as educational toys for your kids, try to watch them together.

Oppenheim Toy Portfolio

All this competing information can be frustrating for parents seeking an independent resource for evaluating the best children's educational toys for their family. That's why we recommend the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an independent reviewer of children's media.

Located at www.toyportfolio.com, Oppenheim relies on exhaustive feedback from parents and children and other testers to rate the best toys each year. Every year, Oppenheim also rates the best children's educational toys of the year. These were the winners for 2005:

Candy Land DVD game from Milton Bradley

This children’s educational game is aimed at preschool and early school age children and teaches them listening skills and color concepts through interaction and physical activity.

Leapster Learning Game System from L-Max

The Leapster is a handheld educational children's toy with software cartridges for kids in preschool through age 8.

Read With Me DVD from Fisher-Price

This children's educational toy is praised for its quality books, though Oppenheim urges that it should not be a replacement for reading with your children.

More information on educational games