THE ‘EINSTEIN-PLUS’ CHILD PLAYS TOYS

Any toy and game that helps the child think is a good buy.

According to Marie Johnson, assistant professor of special education at Freed-Hareman University, parents should ask whether the toys build visual, auditory, tactile or motor skills. And, whether it taps into their child’s imagination and stimulates their minds before they buy toys and games.

Board games like monopoly, and snake & ladder build counting skills. Scrabble helps kids to be better spellers. These games provide opportunity for famly members to interact and spend quality time together.

Solving puzzles, sudoku and playing chess forces the child to use parts of the brain they don’t always use, develop memory skills, extends attention span and cognition. It is great for overall mental development.

"Uno is a great game for school-age children as it combines math concepts and social interaction. It also helps children develop coping & interaction skills and its fun.

Some games like Strawberry shortcake, Curious George, and Nemo teach letters.

Building toys such as blocks help with motor skills, and when they play with other children, they are learning to interact and cooperate with each other to build something.

If you are buying books, look for those that have stimulating storylines, colorful illustrations, and promote good moral values. Read regularly to your kids, as research tells us that the more we read to children, the better readers they are going to be. Reading stories that promote good moral values is a subtle and creative way to help your child grows to become a person with integrity and become an asset to society. Books improve vocabulary skills, increase attention span and boost their imagination.