Best Five Toys for the Holidays
By Dr. Toy (Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D.)

Parents and teachers are always looking for the products that have enduring qualities, are reasonably priced, and help children to learn. These selections will provide children from preschool through older children with learning and fun, plus they will be used well into the new year. Tips on Selecting toys:

Finding the right toy starts with your child’s interests and some research. Ask yourself: Is the product appropriate? Does it fit the child’s age, skills and abilities? Is the product well-designed? Easy to use?

Is the product appealing to the child? Will it frustrate or challenge? Play is a perfect way to introduce reading. Use these suggestions and look for more guidance on our web site. Reading can be a natural part of the child’s activities if you provide the tools the child needs for success.

1.Battat, Phone Station 3-5 yrs. ($36.00) 800-822-8828

http://www.battat-toys.com

This is a unique new telephone that will thrill your youngster. Children enjoy conversations on phones and this one adds to the value of the play with on buttons with sounds, pre-recorded buttons for messages, and sounds that are realistic. Talking on the phone is a natural process to help them expand their communication skills. They will learn about 911 emergency number and also ways to answer the phone and expand their talking on the phone. There is a washable notepad built into this practical and clever new phone system.

2.Fisher-Price, Play With Letters Desk 3-7 yrs. ($29.99) 800- 432-5437

http://www.fisher-price.com

When a child rolls a letter on the desk, the desk magically knows which letter was rolled and rewards the child with a fun response. Children can see and hear the letters and also trace them with their fingers. By incorporating all the senses, sight, sound and touch, this learning toy teaches pre-reading skills including letter identification, word association, spelling, and more.

3.Folkmanis, My First Puppets Soft Book 6-36 mos. ($35.00) 800-654-8922

http://www.folkmanis.com

This new soft book features four spreads each with a hand puppet and matching finger puppet. It emphasizes discovery tools such as color, texture, shape, movement, sounds and surprise to stimulate development. Puppets will bring joy to your child plus it will also help her/him learn the fun of reading. Use the colorful finger puppets while you talk and read along to your child.

4.Get Real Girl, Get Real Girl 6-12 yrs. ($25.00) 866-474-4747.

http://www.getrealgirl.com

The Get Real Girl dolls are each unique for action and adventure. They provide girls with role models from everything from soccer, basketball to backpacker and surfer. The dolls help girls to be inspired and develop their own role model. They provide support for greater self-esteem and will help girls to imagine play and adventure. The dolls are diverse in ethnicity as well as in their interests and they each have unique aspects. They carry passport journals that give them a path to their adventures. The founder of the company, Julia Chavez, created dolls to help children appreciate diversity and understand themselves. She wants to help girls understand diversity and strengthen their own feelings of empowerment and self-esteem. Her late cousin, Caesar Chavez encouraged her to follow her dream, an important lesson for every child.

5.Great American Puzzle Factory, 3-D Undersea Jigsaw Puzzle 6-8 yrs. ($7.00) 800-922-1194

http://www.greatamericanpuzzle.com

This is a puzzle that illustrates colorful fish, underwater scenes, and coral. When your child puts on the glasses the fish pop up and the scene comes to life. The glasses are also fun to use away from the puzzle. This is a puzzle that is 11x16 inches and is a great value that will help your child to learn about underwater life

Dr. Toy (Stevanne Auerbach, Ph.D.) selects best educational and developmentally appropriate products annually for Dr. Toy’s Guide (http://www.drtoy.com) and her syndicated column. This report is the first monthly feature exclusively for Education Update. Each issue will focus on useful learning products for home and school. Dr. Toy is a graduate of Queens College. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have any questions please write to Dr, Toy c/o ednews1@aol.com. See her book Dr. Toy’s Smart Play: How to Raise a Child with a High P.Q. (Play Quotient), St. Martin’s Press.

Education Update, Inc., P.O. Box 20005, New York, NY 10001. Tel: (212) 481-5519. Fax: (212) 481-3919. Email: ednews1@aol.com.
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