Educational Toys for all Ages!

There are many types of toys that are educational in various ways.  We’ll address outdoor toys that help with coordination and motor skills in a future post.  For this review, we are looking at indoor toys (it’s winter of course) and some toys that even help with homework!

For babies and pre-school, we looked at the Comfy Easy PC.  It is PC based software games with a fun keyboard. It does not require reading skills or moving a mouse. Familiar shapes and vibrant colors invite young fingers to touch and explore.  It is designed for ages 1 to 5.  The younger kids will start with just pushing buttons on the keyboard but as they grow, they will learn to interact and enjoy the games.  The basic system comes with the keyboard and First Steps CD-ROM for ages 1 to 3. Many additional programs are available, one award winner is “Adventure in Numberland” for ages 3 to 5.  This software won a Dr. Toy 100 Best Children’s Products Award in 2007.  It “helps preschoolers learn the concepts of numbers in an experiential and joyful manner.” Other awards for the Easy PC include one of the 10 Hottest Kid Friendly Gadgets from PC Magazine (Oct 2007), National Parenting Center Seal of Approval (2006) and Dr. Toy Best Educational (2005).

LeapFrog continues to provide wonderful educational systems for youngsters and this year the new LeapFrog ClickStart My First Computer is a hit! It turns a television into a learning computer and teaches how to use the mouse and keyboard to navigate screens.  It comes with four learning games for phonics, letters, animal facts, counting and computer sckills. The keyboard is wireless and there is a plug and play console, mouse, and mousepad.  It is highly rated by customer reviews at Amazon and has received a 2007 Mom Tested Toy of the Year award from Parenting Magazine. ClickStart is designed for ages 3 to 6.

The Oregon Scientific SmartGlobe is for school age kids and great for history, geography, travel, and more. The deluxe version can be customized with activities for 3 age groups: 5-8, 9-14, or 15 and older. It can be connected to the Internet via a USB port for updates, keeping it’s information current. It received the 2007 Educational Toy of the Year award from the Toy Industry Association. The newer Junior version of the SmartGlobe has won 3 awards from Dr. Toy including Best Product Award winner, Summer 2007.

LeapFrog once again delivers with a sleeker next-generation version of the FLY Fusion Pentop Computer.  It is a homework tool for teens, fusing the paper and digital worlds. Designed for middle school students, it can help with algebra, writing, and foreign languages.  It was listed as a top gift for the holidays from NBC News and received 4 out of 5 stars from PC Magazine in an August, 2007 review.

Brian the Brain by Mega Brands is another homework helper! He’s an interactive buddy with a kid approved vocabulary. He can help with homework, tell jokes, play music and more.  Brian knows 10,000 trivia facts, has voice recognition, a room guard with light sensor, and connects to an MP3 player. Brian is designed for ages 8 and up. Brian the Brain is listed a one of Dr. Toy’s Smart Toys for 2007!

Find where to purchase these great educational toys and more at Top Toys for Kids, Educational Toys.