The Role of Interactive Toys in Development

By: Jenny Talorman
Submitted: 2009-10-30 16:17:18
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When I was young, learning toys for children were boring and academic. They made you feel like you were in school instead of having fun. Today children’s learning toys are some of the most fun and exciting toys on the market. In every age category from infancy to teenaged, there is an interactive learning toy for children of any age, no matter what their interests are.

Learning toys for infants have come a long way from the box of shapes that fit in the shaped holes. Technology has moved into the baby toy market. Many infant toys are interactive now and will speak to your baby when it is touched or spoken to. There are toys that teach shapes and colours by talking to your child. CD’s and DVD’s on the market today are made to increase brain development in your infant through the use of primary colours and classical music. Many of the old school baby toys have been revamped with a new age twist. The old box of shapes will now tell babies if they are right. Their first piggy bank will talk and teach the how to count.

If you think there are a lot of things for infants, the latest in preschool learning toys are amazing. Interactive toys on the market for preschoolers today mimic many of the technological gadgets that have become common these days. From cell phones that teach kids their phone number to laptops that teach numbers, letters and colours, whatever tech toy we grownups have; there is an interactive version for your preschooler to learn on. You can even find handheld video games with touch pad technology where your preschooler can learn to write their letters and numbers by tracing them on the game pad.

If what you need is for your child to be more physically active, there are electronic toys available that require your child to physically participate to play. Video game controllers that sense movements and chairs and cycles that register moves and motions teach children about numbers and letters with video games. These games feature many of their favourite cartoon characters and your child will need to perform some sort of activity in order for the game to register their answer. Now they can learn and be physically fit, even when they are playing video games.

As your kids get older, it is a bit more challenging to entice them with things that can be perceived as “learning games”, but today toymakers are very slick. Video game systems offer many interactive toys with games that challenge them to stimulate their brain. Cleverly disguised behind fantastic graphics and interactive features like motion sensing and touch screen technologies, learning toys can now be considered “cool”, even by the most discerning teen. Now they can spend an afternoon playing video games and have been improving critical thinking and independence skills, without even realizing it.

The latest in cutting edge technology has created a whole new playing field of learning toys. Growth and development for every age group has been transformed by today’s technology into some of the best interactive toys around.

Article source: Expert Articles