Educational & Learning BUYING GUIDE

Growing kids have it in their instinct to learn as they play. Serious learning usually doesn’t work with them if they find the fun element missing. How often you find yourself trying to get your child to learn to recite a nursery rhyme and the little one gives a disinterested gaze everytime? What should you do to engage your kid’s interest, while inducing him/her to learn rhymes at the same time? Dealsdirect, your online retail store, gives you the answer. Gift him a musical piano with animal shaped keys playing rhymes with a simple press. Sing along and your kid would love to learn them. Listening to the music, your child is all smiles as he plays the rhymes over and over again and so are you!

The logic is simple. Haven’t you heard the age old adage, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”! If you want your kid to learn as they play, you must consider buying age-appropriate educational games and toys for children. These help the child acquire academic skills, creativity and also build self-confidence. How do you know which toy is suitable for your kid? Dealsdirect makes it simple for you. First of all, understand your objective. What is it that you want your child to learn, prompting you to look for an educational game or toy? Next, you must consider factors like the age, skill level, likes and dislikes before selecting one. Having said all, it’s equally important to make sure that you do not ignore the fun aspect and help your kid get the most of his playtime!

• Check the age-appropriateness of the educational game or toy.
  
  At different ages, a child is in varied stages of mental growth and maturity, making it necessary for you to buy him games and toys that give him appropriate challenges.
  
  • Toddlers from 0 to 12 months: Children in this age range love to play with stuffed toys, music boxes and crib mirrors. This is the age when you have to introduce ABCs, numbers, simple shapes and colours to them. Choose to buy LEAPFROG Hug and Learn Animal Globe - Plush With Sound, ideal for babies aged 6 months and up. This is a soft, interactive toy globe that sings songs about vehicles, colours, animals and continents.
  
  
  • Children from 1 to 3 years: Children in this age range are livelier and pick up new things very fast. They can be encouraged in the field they show interest, like art, music or dance by purchasing crayons or musical toys for them. This often serves as the first step to identifying your child’s talents and giving them a push. If you want to introduce your toddler to alphabets, LEAPFROG Plush Toy - Learn Along Leap With Sound is a good buy! This toy helps your kid discover alphabets with every squeeze, touch and hug, and also plays the alphabet song.
  
  
  • Children from 3 to 5 years (preschool and kindergarten students): You can choose complex building blocks, electronic games or educational video games for a kid in this age range. The games can be related to their lesson or based on popular stories. This makes those lessons or stories interesting and exciting enough to grip your kid’s interest. Dollhouses, playhouses and climbing gyms help in promoting social skills. Toy telephones, toy binoculars, kid-sized cameras and magnets give the child a taste of nature and science. Kids Learning Laptop - My First PC Tutor for your kid is an exciting way to learn letters, numbers, counting, objects, shapes, music and games.
  
  
  • Children from 6 to 12 years (grade school students): Children in this age range should be encouraged to develop reading habits, writing and arithmetic skills. Purchasing more complex toys can infuse such abilities in your child. Teach your child to operate simple electronic gadgets like the calculator, translator, music player and others. In order to build his math and verbal skills, you can purchase spelling games, cash register and electronic quizzing games.
  
  
  
  
  This is also the right age to introduce the child to motor and building skills. Opt for activity kits such as model airplanes, chemistry sets and erector sets to let your child play with them and develop his skills. If you want to familiarise him with places, purchase talking globes and map games. Electronic BrainBox - Over 1200 Electronic Experiments comes with components like motors, switches, lights and more. It also consists of more than 1200 exciting experiments to keep your child engaged.
• Other factors
  
  Let us now take a peek at some other factors that should be given due importance while purchasing an educational toy or a game for your children.
  
  • Safety: Make sure not to purchase any toy coated with harmful paints, which if licked may be hazradous to your child’s health. Kids can easily swallow toys with small pieces. Avoid purchasing any game or toy, which contains any chemical as a component of the whole kit.
  
  
  • Attractive: The toy or game should be capable of attracting your kid's attention. This will make your kid spend more time on them and learn something in turn. Appealing colours, voice, music and movement can all add on to a toy's attractiveness.
  
  
  • Quality: Always opt for a good quality toy or game. You must know its resistance and if it’s worth the money you pay.
  
  
  • Imaginative: Educational toys must encourage imagination. Crucial thinking skills can be developed with the help of puzzle games.
  
  
  • Informative: The information or the lesson, which a kid learns from the game or toy, should be useful to him/her by all means. It should not teach them about violence, racism or convey any other negative message that is sure to register in the child's mind and affect his mental makeup.
  
  

Equipped with the above information, you know what educational games and toys are best for your growing kid! Shop for a 'learning with fun' game or toy from us right here at Dealsdirect!