THE BEST TOYS FOR LEARNING

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by Siobhan Adcock

With so many toys being marketed as "educational" these days, how's a mom to tell which ones will really help her child learn -- and be fun enough to hold a three-year-old's attention for more than five minutes?

The best educational toys, according to child-development experts, are those that encourage the development of specific skills, as opposed to toys that present facts or simply claim to "improve learning." "Enhances cognitive development sounds technical, but is really too general to be useful," writes psychologist Susan Hardwicke, in the October 2003 issue of Toy Directory Monthly. Hardwicke, whose work focuses on educational testing, continues, "The truth is that all experiences develop the brain. The key to cognitive educational toys is to develop a number of different skills that are ultimately used in complex ways later in life."

Okay, so back to the pressing question: Which toys do that? The Oppenheim Toy Portfolio, an independent consumer review organization that evaluates children's products, publishes a yearly list of toys tested by a national panel of grownups and kids in the hopes of answering this very question. "We often think of educational toys as those that are related to school skills, but the educational value of toys and play is much broader than right and wrong answers or simply knowing the ABCs or 123s," says Joanne Oppenheim, child development specialist and cofounder of the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio. "A rich variety of play gives children opportunities to learn and develop their physical, social, creative and intellectual skills. For example, through 'pretend,' children develop language and imagination -- the underpinnings for reading and writing. A craft or construction kit involves fine motor skills and building dexterity, along with the ability to read and follow directions, working in a step-by-step sequence and staying with a task that is less than instantaneous."

As a guideline, Oppenheim identified the following six categories for playthings that enhance learning. Plus, check out recommendations for specific toys that top Oppenheim's recent award lists:

1. Building toys: Legos, Tinker Toys and blocks for younger kids, and more complex building projects (like Knex or Rokenbok) for older children. "Building toys for each age group are among the best playthings for developing children's spatial reasoning as well as their ability to stick with a task. The younger the child, the more open-ended the building material should be," says Oppenheim.
One to check out: Lego Duplo Block-o-Dile by Lego Systems, Inc.; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, 2005

2. Art supplies. "Art exploration introduces children to the science of how colors work together, and allows for creative and nonverbal self-expression."
One to check out: Finger Painting Party, by Alex; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2005

3. Props for play-acting and role-playing: "These are the food for imagination and language development."
One to check out: Pretend & Play Doctor Set by Learning Resources; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award, 2004

4. Board games that involve matching, counting and turn-taking.
One to check out: Letter Factory Game by LeapFrog; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Platinum Award 2005

5. Sports equipment. Playing sports "develops coordination and big muscles along with a sense of teamwork and fair play -- important learning that is often overlooked."
One to check out: Mini Golf by Alex; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2005

6. Puzzles. "These develop visual discrimination and patience to stay with a less than instant task."
One to check out: Beginner Pattern Blocks by Melissa and Doug, available at Imaginarium.com; Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Gold Award, 2005

For more top toy picks from the Oppenheimer Toy Portfolio, visit: http://www.toyportfolio.com