Dr. Toys Tips on Smart Play
"How to find Smart Toys to
enhance your child's play experience"
San
Francisco, CA –
Parents and teachers should select a good
mix of children’s toys and products to help
children gain an essential and lifelong love
of learning. That is the advice of Stevanne
Auerbach, Ph.D., the child play expert known
as Dr. Toy.
“Children need to play every day. Our annual
awards lists and website offer a convenient,
year-round resource to find smart toys that
enhance your child’s play experience,” says
Auerbach, the author of 15 books including
“Dr. Toy’s Smart Play/Smart Toys: How to
Raise a Child with a High P.Q. - Play
Quotient.” Her 15th Annual “Dr.
Toy’s 100 Best Children’s Products for 2006"
and Holiday Gift Guide are now available
online at
www.drtoy.com.
Auerbach says toys are not just for the
holidays – or just for kids. Families need
to play together and put more fun and
interaction into their relationships. Here
are some tips for selecting toys that
enhance your child’s learning and fun.
-
Look for toys, games, and products like
puzzles that help your child develop
curiosity, interests and hobbies, and
stimulate learning more.
-
Learning requires all of the senses.
Introduce dolls, puppets, vehicles and
construction toys to stimulate
exploration of language. Use these smart
toys to tell stories and stimulate
conversations.
-
Read books aloud every night before
bedtime. Make this an important time for
parent and child to have conversation
about books. Use puppets to expand
communication skills.
-
Ask questions about what your child is
reading and about favorite toys. Let
them tell you their likes and dislikes.
Encourage your child to ask questions.
-
Introduce easy-to-use, fun, and
well-produced learning materials that
will help your child to practice new
skills of all kinds.
-
Find the right toys to assist your child
with learning, imagination, creativity
and gaining skills. Encourage creating
with their hands and making things. Arts
and crafts will reinforce their
experiences.
-
Provide plenty of time to explore and
for unstructured play. Let your child
know that reading and play are
important. Show them that you enjoy
reading and playing too.
Dr. Stevanne Auerbach is the director of the
Institute for Childhood Resources and an
internationally recognized author, speaker
and authority on play and children’s toys.
Her annual awards programs recognize the
best toys and children’s products for
learning and fun. Information on all the Dr.
Toy awards programs are available online at
drtoy.com .
###
Dr. Toy available for interview. Book
available for review.
Media Contact: Angie Niehoff
561-868-0297 or
niehoff@bellsouth.net
Dr. Toy's Tips on
Smart Play in
pdf
Dr.
Toy’s Suggested Smart Toys to Assist Your
Child in Learning and Fun
1. b.dazzle Swimming Champions Scramble
Squares® Age 4 and up $8.95 800-809-4242
www.b-dazzle.com
Mix and match swimming champions with nine
4”x4” brainteaser puzzle pieces that are
easy to play, but hard to solve. Learn about
and support U.S. Olympic Swimming Champions
while gaining patience, perseverance, and
critical thinking skills. One hundred
different puzzles.
2. Briarpatch I Spy Eagle Eye Ages 5-12
$17.99 800-232-7427
www.briarpatch.com
Skill-building board game challenges the
senses and quick thinking. Players spy
object on game board to match object on card
and ring bell. First player to capture six
cards wins. Easy instructions plus
tournament game for advanced players.
3. Educational Insights PlayFoam Ages
3-12 $9.99 800-995-4436
www.edin.com
Creative product for artistic play.
Re-moldable, soft, non-sticking sculpting
beads to sculpt endless creations. Does not
dry out, crumble, or fade. Gain
self-confidence and expand creativity with
six foam bricks in six vibrant colors plus
an idea sheet.
4. Folkmanis Dragon Duo Puppet Ages 5-8
$48.00 800-654-8922
www.folkmanis.com
Colorful two-headed dragon puppet measures
more than 3 feet long with a head at each
end. Hold duo in front to operate around
shoulders. Animate puppet alone or with a
friend or create colorful puppet show. An
amazing addition to child's puppet
experiences.
5. KAPLA Toys 200-Piece Barrel Ages 3-12
$66.00 912-944-6296
www.kaplatoys.com
Wooden building blocks your child will enjoy
for hours of fantasy, learning, and
constructive play. Blocks are exactly the
same size for easy manipulation. Made from
renewable French pine forests, in seven
colors with detailed instructions for
endless structures.
6. Learning Resources Gears! Gears! Gears!®
Illuma∙Bot™ Ages 5-8 $54.95 800-222-3909www.learningresources.com
Unique 105-piece construction system to
create battery-operated 25 ft. range
remote-controlled robot. Develop motor and
science skills and plenty of creativity.
Color-coded instructions for four motorized
models. Requires 7 “AA” batteries.
7. Mega Brands Magna Case Ages 6-12
$49.99 800-465-6342
www.megabrandsinc.com
Sturdy case stores 200 assorted Magnetix, a
unique magnetic building system for math,
science, and imagination skills. Magna Case
allows higher, wider, more dynamic creations
and aerial constructions. Design planets,
stars, and complex shapes for greater
visibility.
8. MGA Entertainment Miuchiz Ages 6-12
$29.99 800-222-4685
www.mgae.com
High-tech system allows child to customize,
personalize, and stylize virtual companion.
Plug into computer and enter online
community to explore, play games, and chat.
Many different things to do plus plenty of
features, full-color screen, and much more.
9. Tangle Toys Tangle Toys Tangle Jr. Dora
the Explorer Ages 3-12 $4.99 888-829-3808
www.tangletoys.com
Tangles are wonderful relaxing toys for all
ages to play with anytime. Favorite
Nickelodeon characters on their own 18-piece
interconnected plaything. Stimulates brain
as it helps exercise hand and increase
finger dexterity. Creative, fun toy for
year-round play.
10. University Games Game of Knowledge
Ages 8 and up $24.98 800-347-4818
www.ugames.com
Skill-building trivia game that is a lot of
fun. Players answer interesting questions.
Questions divided into two age groups so
players compete on their own level. Game is
great way for the whole family to have
learning and play experiences together.
Dr. Toy's Tips on
Smart Play in
pdf
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