Toys again: for 2-year-old

Gia, I'm the mom of three, and I think you need to redefine what you
mean by "teach". My experience with kids toys is that the basics are
best. By that I mean the tried and true. Blocks, books, stacking cups,
dolls, toy kitchen stuff, play houses, toy cars, a wagon, balls, dress
up - the stuff kids have been playing with for generations. Best
investment you can make is those basic items - the electronic stuff has
very limited play value.

You want kids to engage in imaginative play, in testing out the world
and their bodies. That's what they learn from.

When each of our kids was that age, their most favourite books were
word books, that were full of interesting pictures - when we read to
them, we'd be having fun pointing things out (where's the ducky?
Where's the red ball?) Here is a sample of one we had that was a huge
hit for years with the kids
http://www.amazon.com/First-Thousand.../dp/0794502822 (it
also comes in a pile of other languages if you are a bilingual
household or want to introduce another language - they even have a
Hebrew version).

Enduring hits in our house were plastic kitchen items (plates, pots,
tea sets) and toy food, a toy grocery cart and cash register. Toy
kitchen, toy washing machines (all made of tough plastic). These things
provided YEARS of play - they played house, they played store, they
played restaurant, they played picnic, they used them for everything
you can think of. We have a Little Tykes plastic play house in the
basement, and it gets used for all kinds of things as well. We have a
neighbour with two small girls, and when the second was born I gave
their two year old a plastic picnic set that included some play food,
and the parents both sought us out later to thank us - they were blown
away by how much their daughter LOVED pretending to serve tea, or make
dinner.

We have a huge supply of both foam and wooden blocks - the kids are now
8, 12 and 15 and they still play with them (mazes for the guinea pig,
cities, etc. etc.) Or they just pile them all up into huge towers and
knock them down.

A rocking horse got used a lot as did the plastic wagon, ride-em toys.
Dollhouses were beloved in various forms (including by the boys when
they were smaller). Dolls, carriages, doll beds, much loved - my oldest
son (the one who is now 15) had a doll he called Baby Susie he liked to
push around in her carriage when he was your child's age. Plastic
vehicles like Little Tykes fire engines etc. provided tons of fun.

Think about learning in broader terms.

M

"Gia" wrote in message
ps.com...
I am trying to find a good educational toy for a 2-year-old girl.
Ideally, it would help with the numbers, letters, and shapes in a fun,
interactive way.

You've already got one. It's called your computer keyboard. #1 learnt all
her letters (upper and lower case) by typing on it at 24 months into Word.
Now buy her the pretend kitchen.
Debbie

(Having said what I wish, though, my child has recently become very
interested in pretend-cooking, so the thought of a play kitchen crossed
my mind. This is not as educational as I'd like it to be, but it's a
possibility.)

In any case, please suggest good toys that will entartain, but also
teach a curious 25-month-old.
Gia

In article . com,
"-L." wrote:

I totally agree with everything you've posted. I don't know anyone who
gives their child only "old fashioned" open-ended play toys.If they
did, I'd feel sorry for their kid because he's missing out on some
really fun toys. [...]
Right now his favorite toys are his
Hot Wheels and his guitar (a real guitar) but in the past it was his
LeapFrog bus or his V-Tech barn which teaches colors, numbers, animals
and their sounds. They all have value.

I've just Googled LeapFrog bus.

I can get a book that has all the good features of this bus without the loud
annoying voices.

Can't find much on the V-Tech barn. It's a talking shape sorter, right?
Well, I'd prefer one that keeps its thoughts to itself.

So no, IMO the electronics don't add value at all.

We do have some Toys That Beep And Flash, but not many. Of the few we have,
this is my favourite:
http://www.babywizards.com/mumigoro1.html
It plays a jazz tune in pleasant tones, and entertains DS2 when he is stuck in
his cot while DH is ironing. In general, I prefer toys that aren't made of
hard shiny plastic (coloured by experience of a Bad Daycare where every toy
looked the same after a while). I like the fabric Lamaze toys, for example.
And yep, we have wooden Thomas stuff.

DH and I both have a Thing about Pretend Computers. DS1 and DS2 use our
computers under supervision. And they do watch TV :-)

Not sure whether you'd be sorry for our kids or not, but either way, we really
don't need any more toys!

--
Chookie -- Sydney, Australia
(Replace "foulspambegone" with "optushome" to reply)

"Parenthood is like the modern stone washing process for denim jeans. You may
start out crisp, neat and tough, but you end up pale, limp and wrinkled."
Kerry Cue

"Chookie" wrote in message
...
In article . com,
"-L." wrote:

I totally agree with everything you've posted. I don't know anyone who
gives their child only "old fashioned" open-ended play toys.If they
did, I'd feel sorry for their kid because he's missing out on some
really fun toys. [...]
Right now his favorite toys are his
Hot Wheels and his guitar (a real guitar) but in the past it was his
LeapFrog bus or his V-Tech barn which teaches colors, numbers, animals
and their sounds. They all have value.

I've just Googled LeapFrog bus.

I can get a book that has all the good features of this bus without the
loud
annoying voices.

You can say the same thing the other way around. I didn't find the sounds
loud and annoying. DS didn't like books. If you suggest I force the books,
I'd say that's a great way to make him hate books. He likes them now, when
he's finally ready for them. Children should be allowed to learn the way
they want. That is the way they learn best. If a child is into electronic
learning toys, go for it. Not all children are into that. Forcing
electronic learning toys is no better than forcing any other toys.


Can't find much on the V-Tech barn. It's a talking shape sorter, right?
Well, I'd prefer one that keeps its thoughts to itself.

So no, IMO the electronics don't add value at all.

She didn't say they add value. She said they have value.

"toypup" wrote in message
...

Children should be allowed to learn the way
they want. That is the way they learn best.

I so agree with that. My daughter wasn't that great at reading, until her
2nd grade teacher introduced the kids to the "Just" books - "Just Kidding",
"Just Disgusting" etc. She loved them so much she wanted her own, and we
haven't looked back, she's now a really excellent reader.

Jen

Chookie wrote:

I've just Googled LeapFrog bus.

I can get a book that has all the good features of this bus without the loud
annoying voices.

No you can't.
http://www.amazon.com/LeapFrog-10170...toys-and-games

It has little frogs that come out for independent play, tells letter
names, sounds, and words that begin with that letter, sings the ABC
song and teaches the sounds of three different instruments. J can play
with it by himself, and it taught him sounds at age 18 mos. No book can
do that through independant play. Furthermore, there isn't anything
annoying about this particular toy. We do have toys that are annoying,
but this isn't one of them.



Can't find much on the V-Tech barn. It's a talking shape sorter, right?

No.
http://www.vtechkids.com/product_page.cfm?productId=98


Well, I'd prefer one that keeps its thoughts to itself.

You're incredibly short sighted.


So no, IMO the electronics don't add value at all.

Once again, incredibly short sighted.


We do have some Toys That Beep And Flash, but not many. Of the few we have,
this is my favourite:
http://www.babywizards.com/mumigoro1.html
It plays a jazz tune in pleasant tones, and entertains DS2 when he is stuck in
his cot while DH is ironing. In general, I prefer toys that aren't made of
hard shiny plastic (coloured by experience of a Bad Daycare where every toy
looked the same after a while). I like the fabric Lamaze toys, for example.
And yep, we have wooden Thomas stuff.

DH and I both have a Thing about Pretend Computers. DS1 and DS2 use our
computers under supervision. And they do watch TV :-)

shrug DS's laptop isn't supposed to be a substitute for his
computer. It is something he plays with independently.


Not sure whether you'd be sorry for our kids or not, but either way, we really
don't need any more toys!

Kids who don't get such advantages many times get left behind. Not
all, some.

-L.

toypup wrote:
You can say the same thing the other way around. I didn't find the sounds
loud and annoying.

We have a cookie monster pull toy that drives me insane, but mainly
because it goes off by itself in the middle of the night. We also
have a V-tech vibrating giggle ball that is annoying, but J loved it
when he was a crawler.


DS didn't like books. If you suggest I force the books,
I'd say that's a great way to make him hate books. He likes them now, when
he's finally ready for them. Children should be allowed to learn the way
they want. That is the way they learn best. If a child is into electronic
learning toys, go for it. Not all children are into that. Forcing
electronic learning toys is no better than forcing any other toys.

Agreed. It's a matter of exposure. You expose them to different
things and see what they have an affinity for. I would never have
consciously bought hotwheels, but DS saw them, wanted them, loved them
and so is hooked. We play all sorts of games with them from sorting
them by color to balancing them on things and lining them up in
different spacial configurations, and just playing with them like cars.
I have purchased toys that he didn't really like at first but 6 or 9
months later, he thought they were great. I just try to buy things
that I think have potential to help him grow in in some way, or that I
think he will have fun with, or that he has a natural affinity for*.
I'd hate to think of his life if all he was exposed to were his books.

snip

So no, IMO the electronics don't add value at all.

She didn't say they add value. She said they have value.

Correctomundo.

-L.
(* J saw a guitar on a DVD we have and all he could talk about was the
"a-uitar" so we bought him a student guitar and he loves it. Had it
been up to me, he probably wouldn't have had such an item until age 6
or 7, at least. But he wanted it loves it and is learning from it. I
wouldn't feel any differently if it was an electronic toy or a wooden
train or anything else. They all have the potential to teach and none
is superior to others in terms of learning potential, AFAIC.)

Gia wrote:
My husband was considering a toddler laptop, but I didn't see one that
I liked yesterday at the store.
Gia

J's laptop is a Spiderman version - the only thing we don't like about
it is the fact that the screen is so small. Other than that, it has
many letter and word games to play and will grow with the child. J
will be 3 in January and he likes to take it in the car with him. It's
light enough that he can carry it by himself and he knows what buttons
to push. It's also sturdy enough that he can bang on it without harm.

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html...sin=B000FO1EZQ

-L.

Gia wrote:
Thank you for the suggestions! I might go with the play kitchen. They
have a number of choices at the local Toys R Us. Somehow, I wanted to
escape the stereotype of girls cooking, I guess.

I wouldn't worry about that. My nephew had a toy dyson which he loved
and my ds (who is nearly 17 mths) will mostly likely get a kitchen when
he is two. I want him to learn about cooking so he can do it for us
when he is older .

To add to the educational debate - my sister and I were very envious of
my cousins Speak and Spell when we were younger. On the other hand we
created a very good Abba tribute band using a broom handle, large
margarine tub, some drawn on card keyboards and hairbrush mike.

Jeni

deja.blues wrote:

It's curious to me that I have trouble remembering what my kids played with
at age two.
The only thing that they really enjoyed and played with for a long time,
was a good value for the money, and I didn't end up donating or throwing
away, was Duplo. All Hail Duplo! (and Lego)

Well, I'll just list some of my 2 yo dd's current favorite toys -
things that she either plays with for 20 minutes to an hour on a
regular basis, or on and off almost every day:

Playdoh with accessories
paint w/ easel (in an area without nice flooring)
Little People - the dollhouse is her favorite
Baby dolls (with accessories)
play kitchen (with food, pots, pans and dishes)

Secondary toys:
blocks - Megabloks or Duplo
books
toy train set
cash register
balls

I'm probably missing some things, and of course, she also plays with
her older brother's stuff, too.

Irene