WASHINGTON — Adults know a fair amount of stuff, but they know bupkis about toys. They gave up that “expert” status when they grew up.
Along the way, the times passed them by. A toy is like a pop song, after all. What was generally cool back in the day (e.g., Slinky, Etch a Sketch, Gumby) is less likely to fly with this savvy crowd of beardless hipsters.
So when those adorable, drooling oracles weigh in on educational toys, parents should probably take note.
Kids at one Ellicott City, Maryland, preschool tried out over two dozen educator-selected toys for a week recently and weighed in on their favorites, as part of a 10th-annual nationwide test at 50 Goddard School locations.
The top 10 toys range from a “Shake & Wobble Busy Ball” (for children 3 months old to 2 years old) to a “Let’s Go Code! Activity Set” (for ages 5 and up).
A good educational toy encourages interaction and child-initiated play, and it promotes creativity and collaboration. It also has staying power, said Laura Dinder, a Goddard School administrative consultant.
“They help build attention spans and encourage creativity and cognitive development across ages,” she said.
Dinder cited the KID K’NEX Budding Builders Building Set, which allowed the school’s 3-year-olds to practice fine motor skills; helped its pre-kindergartners understand space and dimensions; and gave its kindergartners a chance to introduce an element of dramatic play.
Another favorite among the Ellicott City kids: The DuneCraft Bucket of Balls, which changed shape and color when they poured water over them.
“One of them changed into a frog almost,” said Zoey, a 3-year-old student/tester at the Ellicott City school.
See the gallery below for the full list of this year’s top 10 educational toys (as well as the winning toy overall).
The top 10
Suggested age range: 1–5 years (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
