There’s much debate today about whether preschool learning toys are really worthwhile and as beneficial as they’re cracked up to be.  Do they really teach our kids anything or is it all just a big commercial ploy against we parents who want to give our kids every advantage in life that we can afford.

I’m a mother and grandmother who takes some offense to what some of the so-called “experts” are putting out there downplaying the benefits of activity toys and preschool learning toys.  Yes, I agree that these days almost any toy is being touted as  a developmental toy or activity learning toy.  There is truly way too much commercialization of popular characters and the hottest new “in thing” that’s somehow or other turned into a child’s learning toy.  Scholastic books has had their hands slapped recently for their intent to commercially promote books that were let’s say “not so educational”.  I also don’t believe that sticking an alphabet “nook” into the mouth of a baby is going to teach him the letter “A”, although there are many parents will pay an extra buck or two for this educational “nook” with the belief they are going to be raising the next little Einstein by doing so.

Our grandson Colton loves to play with any kind of toy that requires his creativity and imagination.  He loves to figure out how to fit the tinker toy stick into the little holes on the wheels to connect them together.  I’m always amazed at the little “Picasso’s” he produces when we’re coloring together (the colors he uses really are pretty realistic and instead of big scribbled purple pages he stays reasonably well within the lines).

Or he spends lots of time in his toy kitchen that we bought him last Christmas, making us melted cheese and coffee and whatever else sounds good to him that day.  He’s only 2 1/2, yet his skills and dexterity are twice that of his dad’s at that same age.  (go here, “Children’s Toys That Are More Than All Child’s Play” ,  to read more  about how Colton’s dad’s first horrible and embarrassing week of kindergarten sent me on a mission to educate both myself and him).

Face it, starting kindergarten is a huge thing for both the children and the parents.  For many toddlers it’s their very first experience in a school setting, and for the parents it’s a knuckle-cracking/fingernail biting experience to walk away from those school doors and hope that your child has a good experience and fits in well.

The more prepared and developed your child is, the better the experience they will have in kindergarten.  Preschool learning toys and other educational toys and games are not the end-all answer to preparing your child for kindergarten.  Nothing can take the place of real hands on experience that children have with their parents.  Taking a walk with them and pointing out the different colors and different insects along the way beats the heck out of any learning toy.

But there are times when we busy parents have other things to tend to and need something more than ourselves to keep our children safely entertained.  Activity toys such as this

Melissa and Doug Lacing Beads

can keep your child happy while you get dinner ready or the laundry done. This type of learning toy teaches them colors, alphabet, fine motor skills by lacing beads, and on and on. It’s an inexpensive children’s activity learning toy that works on many of the essential skills in child development and you won’t have to feel guilty about the time you’re not with them because they’ll be having too much fun.

Yes, these children’s toys are an investment…but they are an investment in your child.  We spend tens of thousands of dollars on our children’s college educations to prepare them for life on their own (and believe me I know-speaking as a parent who has put one through 6 years of college to get his MBA and another one who is in her third year of Biology and pre-vet which could mean another 5 or 6 years).  After college we hope that they’ll be able to get out there and “fly on their own”.

Why not invest in the education that prepares your child for their very first attempt to “fly on their own”.

Think about it this way.  You wouldn’t send your 9 year old out onto the football field against other bigger and more experienced football players UNLESS he had joined a team and been coached and then  practiced and practiced and practiced some more.   You wouldn’t send your 6 year old novice piano player to her first piano recital unless she’d had some lessons behind her and was prepared for the experience of a recital.

Well, the same thing goes for sending your children off to school.  We need to let them practice and learn at home before we send them to school for the real thing.  They need to have certain skills and know-how in order to fit in and feel comfortable with what the school and the teacher expect of them.

All Child's Play Online Toy Store

Here are some articles with additional information you may want to check out:

• Educational Kids Toys That Promote Physical Activity – The most fun educational kids toys are related to science, reading, math, art, music and crafts. These toys offer a hands on way of learning that is fun for different age groups. Educational toys can enhance a child’s hand and eye …