http://educationgrowth.com Personal Growth and Education Development At Its Best Tue, 05 Oct 2010 11:23:24 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://educationgrowth.com/considering-educational-toys/ http://educationgrowth.com/considering-educational-toys/#comments Sun, 04 Apr 2010 04:47:11 +0000 Professional Guru http://EducationGrowth.com/70/educational-toys/considering-educational-toys/ Puzzles have been around for years. Solving a puzzle is a great way to spend an evening at home. It is such fun to solve puzzles together, not to mention a great family bonding experience.Puzzles encourage logical thinking because they involve putting related pieces together to form a big picture. Puzzles can be a very thought provoking activity for all ages. Puzzles come in various shapes and sizes. There are lots of puzzles for various age groups starting from kids as young as a year and a half.These are basic puzzles which involve just a few pieces, e.g to slot shape pieces into a wooden board or box. As your child grows, you can introduce him/her to the more traditional and sometimes, complicated puzzles. Learning can definitely be made easier with puzzles. Memory retrieval and the ability to process new information are associated with brain health. Puzzles can help these important brain functions by strengthening the connections between brain cells.Just as you exercise to build and maintain your muscle as well as your body mass, you can also strengthen your child’s brain by exercising it. It is really very simple- all you have to do is to engage your child in solving puzzles. In this way it helps to create new connections in the brain as well as strengthens the old cell connections. No matter what type of puzzles your child tries, his/her mind still has to follow a deliberate, systematic process that will leave them dreaming up plenty of imaginative ideas. The benefits of solving puzzles are numerous – they force children to think of many different types of solutions, they help children to be better problem solvers which eventually impact their schoolwork in general and it also helps them to build self confidence in themselves.Alphabet and number puzzles are very popular with young children and this beginning activity will go a long way towards helping children break down problems into manageable taskBottom of Form ]]> http://educationgrowth.com/considering-educational-toys/feed/ 0 http://educationgrowth.com/unique-educational-toys/ http://educationgrowth.com/unique-educational-toys/#comments Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:38:06 +0000 Professional Guru http://EducationGrowth.com/53/educational-toys/unique-educational-toys/   Engaging The Young Minds As most parents would agree, young children can be quite a handful. It often proves to be quite a task keeping them engaged for long hours at a stretch. A lot of companies have come up with numerous toys that not only attract the attention of the kids, but also eggs them on to discover new things and learn in the process. Educational toys are a particular favorite of parents as they come as the perfect foil to keep the kids busy and educate them at the same time. A wide range of quality educational toys are available for children as young as 3 months. These toys are not only fun, but can also be quite unique. Here are some suggestions that might help you choose from the different educational toys available in the market. Wooden Toys These are popular with parents not only because they are cheap and safe, but also because they are durable and of good quality. Plus, they break the monotony of electronic and plastic toys. There are numerous options like wooden puzzles, bead sequencing sets, jigsaws, and buildings. Children distinguish the various shapes and colors, and may even learn their first alphabets and numericals from these games. Besides, a child will also develop hand-eye coordination, and problem solving skills. Activity Kits These include craft kits, organic stuffed animals, block games, memory games, and also cars. Such games are ideal for the more active kids as they require active participation. Construction toys and memory games help build the child’s imagination, strengthen the memory, and also teach him/ her social skills like participation and involvement. Books and Electronic Games Storybooks, drawing books, and music CDs are found to leave a deep impact on young fertile minds. They are designed to stimulate the child’s senses and curiosity, and help develop their thought processes. There are some unique options like “Baby Shakespeare Find-And-Rhyme” and “Baby Bach Touch ‘N Play Pipes” that incite the child to explore art, poetry, language, and music. There are also several preprogrammed educational games for the slightly older children that can be played by simply plugging it to the T.V. These games are often designed so as to promote math, logic and spelling skills. Cartoons and Video Games A lot of companies like the Warner Bros. produce toys and video games with the popular cartoon characters. These are a particular favorite with children as the characters are familiar and they can identify with them. Plus, these toys give them the freedom of acting out their fantasies and letting their imaginations run wild. While choosing a toy, it is necessary to keep in mind the child’s age and learning level. The right kind of toy can be the perfect teacher in developing and nurturing the kid’s intellect. ]]> http://educationgrowth.com/unique-educational-toys/feed/ 0 http://educationgrowth.com/education-toys-games-for-young-mind/ http://educationgrowth.com/education-toys-games-for-young-mind/#comments Sat, 23 Jan 2010 06:01:29 +0000 Professional Guru http://EducationGrowth.com/33/educational-toys/education-toys-games-for-young-mind/ Educational games are an integral part of childhood; more so with the new age trend of ‘learn while you play’. Educational toys are mainly classified based on the type, design and the particular age group they are targeted at.The choices of educational toys and learning games are however mind boggling. With the ever growing trend and popularity of educational games almost every store you go to is generally filled with such toys and games.Before zooming on the ideal educational games for your little ones, it is important to make the shopping ‘age’ specific. If your child is a newborn then a game suitable for a 3 year old is going to be of little or no use as the infant will hardly be able to play with them.It is therefore important to choose toys that are age specific.Educational toys for infants: They are designed to nurture the creativity in infants. This is certainly one of the best ways to make your little one learn and have fun at the same time. From a very young age babies respond to color therefore toys like building blocks, cushions and play mats in vibrant colors are good options. Playhouses, creative play, musical toys and soft cushion blocks make resourceful educational toys for your little one.Educational toys for a two year old: At this age kids generally learn about their physical skills and actions of the world around them. Toys that augment hand and finger co ordination are ideal. Therefore simple crafts and artwork are ideal toys for your two year old.Several soft bath toys are available which enhance the hand grip. They also make room for imaginative play which adds a whole new dimension to educational toys and games.Educational toys for a three year old: Educational games for a three year old are mainly those that are constructed to enhance the learning skills. Therefore they are categorized as learning games. Alphabet puzzle book, number games, magnetic toys and other activity sets are ideal toys for a three year old.As the child starts school, it is important to get toys that would augment his learning process. Rhyme and story books, art book set, crayon colors etc are a must have. Besides this, each subject that is taught in school can be pictorially represented to him so that learning becomes a fun activity. Drama, choir and dance are the other activities that help making the learning process truly engaging.Toys and games do have a positive effect on a growing mind. Learning games are especially important in the early stages of a child’s growth. Choose appropriate education toys and present your little one, the gift of learning with playthings. ]]> http://educationgrowth.com/education-toys-games-for-young-mind/feed/ 0