Best Baby Toys 12 Months – Mind Shapes: Educational Toys
Best Baby Toys 12 Months - When searching for a new toy for your child, you may experience a bit of sensory overload when walking through the toy department. There are all kinds of colors screaming at you with huge numbers and letters to accompany them. However, there are more than just colors and numbers getting your attention. There are also lights, sounds, and talking toys. If the kids are with you, they are really excited and decide it is time to turn on every single toy that makes noise so that they can hear them chiming, ringing, singing, and beeping all at the same time. Obviously the kids know how to operate these toys, which means they have been introduced to them at one time or another. So what is the right time to introduce a child to electronic educational toys?
We see them everywhere for all ages. We see them for babies, toddlers, and school age kids. For babies, these toys will have very colorful buttons on them that may make animal sounds and say what the animal is or play music for them. For toddlers, the toys will say the name of an animal when the little one pushes the button or will even start teaching numbers and letters. For school age kids, they can improve their spelling and math skills in order to do better in school. The possibilities are endless, but that still brings up the debate of when a child is too young for electronic education toys. Or are they too young?
The consensus seems to be that children who are of school age should be the ones introduced to electronic educational toys. The reason for this is because children of this age are more likely to understand the different functions of the toy instead of being constantly confused as to what all it can do. For children younger than that, it is believed that non-electronic toys require more imagination. Electronic toys do teach numbers, shapes, and the alphabet, but non-electronic toys encourage creative thinking.
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Also, although electronic educational toys are interactive, the interaction of non-electronic toys ties in with the concept of creative thinking. Non-electronic toys also encourage children to interact with each other, whereas electronic educational toys are primarily made for individual play. Non-electronic toys also promote physical activity.
But the good news is that by the age of 5, a child has developed many of these skills and can be introduced to electronic educational toys to help them in their studies. However, it is still beneficial to incorporate non-electronic toys into a child's life to allow them to continue using their imagination. Although the child may have an electronic educational toy, it is still beneficial to use old fashioned flash cards, alphabet blocks, refrigerator magnets, and other such toys to promote imagination and learning. One such way to promote imagination is through the use of building blocks that allow children to build things.
Yes, the electronic educational toy market is huge. There are actual consoles and so many games and educational programs that it can make a parent's head spin when walking through the toy department. Even after leaving the store, the toys that come home continue to make a parent's head spin with all of the beeping, music, and other various sounds that appeal to children. However, despite the constant noise these toys make when the kids are playing with them, when a parent hears the toy say, "Well done," "correct," or "good job," a parent can't help but have a smile on their face because they know they have a little genius on their hands.
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Comments on Best Baby Toys 12 Months – Mind Shapes: Educational Toys
8:57 am
We have a 10 month baby and we dont' beleive in introducing TV or computer stuffs to him at this age. We prefer him to learn the basic things.
We have a lot of home made toys for him. Gather a few plastic cups and put them up like a rising tower. He enjoys it when he can push the cups down.
Got a milk bottle and put some rice and colorful paper in it. He shake it and listen to the sound. Put other items in different bottle and he learn of other sounds.
8:58 am
nothing wrong, but also nothing educational! disney is too powerful!
9:23 am
this little electronic book thing, he loves it.
9:35 am
good post
9:36 am
I don’t agree with everything she’s doing, but I do think she has some points that deserve consideration. My son(18 months) watches Baby Einstein once in a while and he really enjoys it. However, I think that one of this lady’s main concerns is the use of videos like BE can *replace* time that the toddlers would otherwise spend engaging in play and creativity – things which cannot be substituted by BE videos. The marketing issue is of concern as well.
8:35 am
My baby kicks me everytime I put on Baby Einstein..
11:43 am
Reading to your baby is great cuddle time and helps build a love of books and reading. You can get plain (no text) picture books like the ones by Tana Hoban or read simple stories. Even a magazine with pictures. Sure, baby doesn't understand yet, but will love to look at the pics and will love the time with you. We've been reading to our daughter since she was a month or two old and she LOVES books now at 16 months.
The bottle ideas are great. We also filled water bottles with colored water for her to roll around and shake, etc. We put some little plastic fish in one, too.
Another good home made toy: clean out old cans (like from tomatoes or soup) of different sizes. Make sure there aren't any sharp edges. Cover in colored duct tape and/or electrical tape and you've got stacking cups, drums and rolling toys all in one
2:46 pm
Books! Babies love to hear your voice, i dont care how old they are, its never too young to introduce them to books. Get the ones that have the textures and fur that you can put their fingers on, and shapes and colors. You might think your baby is too young, but he isnt. Thats the best learning tool as far as im concerned, a bouncy seat or swing is fun, but it doesnt teach anything, although they can observe their surroundings, parent/child interaction is the best for stimulating their minds.
5:07 pm
Every year Oppenheim evaluates infant toys and gives awards for the best 'developmental' toys that engage the baby's senses and encourage different skills (eye tracking, eye-hand coordination, understanding of cause and effect, understanding of object permanence, gross- and fine-motor development etc.) You can see the award winning toys here: http://www.toyportfolio.com/Infants/Index.asp.
Tiny Love has several award winning toys. Their website is also very informative about how each of their toys encourages infant development. http://www.tinylove.com
They have several amazing infant activity gyms. (See link below.) The activity gyms tend to be pricey but you can find them for reasonable prices on Craigslist or Ebay.
Lamaze also makes many award winning toys. (See link below.) Their toys tend to be soft and cuddly with many textures, peek-a-boo flaps, patterns, colors, and sounds to explore.
Have fun watching your little one explore and see her developing right before your eyes.
8:33 pm
my son loves baby einstein, i actually enjoys watchin it too. what she’s sayin doesnt make sense, there’s nothing wrong with watching BE videos. this is Rubbish!
6:17 pm
What a jerk!!! You can go to babiesrus.com and look up your childs age group and they will reccommend what is best for your baby.
11:33 pm
I completely agree with you.
People don't realize that these toys are actually sucking the creativity out of little minds. Soon, all they can think of is Tickle Me Elmo and wait till the toy tells you what to do next. After all toys talk now, so the kid doesn't actually have to think of games and things to do, just wait to be told.
4:02 am
This issue really sets me off. A set of blocks is educational for a toddler or preschooler. So is the collection of pots, pans, and spoons. Or a mirror. Or two stuffed animals who can have adventures together spanning a whole host of things that a child is learning about. Or (crazy idea) — a book. Most of the "educational" toys on the market are just plain ridiculous. Something doesn't become educational just because it has the abcs printed on it, and there's a whole lot more to learn about life than letters and numbers. In my opinion, most "educational" toys are a marketing scam that do more harm than good, at least if they come in the place of more traditional and imaginative toys. And I can tell you my kids have done great academically in kindergarten and beyond without them.
If you want a good argument back to your co-workers, I recommend reading "Einstein Never Used Flashcards" from your local library or book store.
4:48 am
There is a big difference between stimulating & educational & it is impossible to accurately measure the impact of creativity on young minds.
Disney is selling toy products but we are savvy prosumers not naive consumers?
The issue here is whether young people are being encouraged 2 pester their parents 2 buy stuff after seeing it on BE.
If they are then it’s clearly unethical behaviour on the part of the commercial entity.
Baby Einstein is the digital version of the flash card!!
6:41 am
keep to your point without blaming Bush – you Phony
7:26 am
Ahhh Berkley. Thank you for turning out another angry activist who spends her life looking for something to supposedly save the world from. How self important.
Hey genius – if a video is TEACHING colors, shapes, animals, numbers, etc etc. — it’s EDUCATIONAL.
Could it be any more obvious that what she hates is a Christian mom starting her own SUCCESSFUL business? Although, she just may hate the Bush administration MORE.
12:41 pm
this bitch is fuckin crazy
3:41 pm
1. Kindergarten age and older.
2. I personally am not a fan. I see the commerical for Baby Eistein from time and time and laugh at the woman sitting on the couch with her baby watching the program. Are you kidding me? You can't think of anything better to do with your baby? Kids learn SO MUCH MORE by you interacting with them and develop skills A LOT faster.
3. 8ish. In today's world, kids need to know how to use the computer and they're hand writing things less and less. I'm a teacher and over the last couple of years I've been told more and more to have the kids type their homework. The amount of time should be limited though and parents should know what they're doing on the computer.
4. What I consider "educational toys" are things that "interact" with a child. Something that sings the alphabet, says the name of the number when they push it, asks them to push, pull etc certain colors etc. What I think is the most educational are simple toys: dolls, blocks, paint etc. They allow a child to use their imagination, improve motor skills etc which is just as important as knowing your letters and numbers. Everyone has a different opinion on what is education and what isn't. The little label on the box is just that: an opinion.
5. Traditional toys are more educational in my opinion for toddlers BY FAR. Your child is going to develop motor skills from a toys that teaches the alphabet but they will from scribbling with crayons or catching a ball. They're learn their numbers much faster by counting blocks in their hand and building with them than they will listening to something count. I also find it hard to sit with my kid and play/interact with one of those toys. We live in an electronic world….but simple toys are way better my opinion.
6. I read to my kids for 15-30mins a night. Sometimes a little more during the day. My older two read for a little while longer on their own before the go to sleep.
Best Wishes =]