Md. preschoolers weigh in on this year’s best educational toys

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

The VTech Lil’ Critters Shake & Wobble Busy Ball | Suggested age range: 3–24 months (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
Fat Brain Toys Oombee Cube Suggested age range: 10 months and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
Martmax My First Safari Animals
Suggested age range: 1–5 years (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
Peaceable Kingdom Monkey Around – The Wiggle and Giggle Game Suggested age range: 2 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
VTech Go! Go! Smart Wheels Race & Play Adventure Park Suggested age range: 1–5 years (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
KID K’NEX Budding Builders Building Set Suggested age range: 3 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
OVERALL WINNER Melissa & Doug Star Diner Restaurant Play Set Suggested age range: 3 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
Learning Resources Lil’ Lemonade Stand-Off —A Memory Matching Game Suggested age range: 4 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
DuneCraft Bucket of Balls Suggested age range: 4 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
Learning Resources Let’s Go Code! Activity Set Suggested age range: 5 years and older (ADH Photos Maryland/Andrea Hunt)
(1/10)

Jack Pointer

Jack contributes to WTOP.com when he's not working as the afternoon/evening radio writer.

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