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3 minute read
Fun, educational toys for preschoolers
Shopping for a preschooler? Select fun, educational toys
written by BRITTANY WEDD
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR DISCOVERY STATION AT HAGERSTOWN INC.
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Does the holiday season make you come unwrapped? If you're struggling to find that perfect gift for the preschoolers in your life, I have you covered. The best part? The items I'm recommending are fun and educational, without breaking the bank. When parents ask me about toys for their preschoolers, I tell them to focus on ones that highlight skill development, foster imagination and help children explore the world around them. With that said, I am a big supporter of tangram toys. If you incorporate them during early childhood, your child will have a leg up on developing essential skills like shape recognition and spatial awareness, while allowing their creativity to blossom. The Magnetic Wooden Tangram Set by HDW Toys is my favorite, and it only costs $10. The vibrant colors of the blocks are attractive to children, and the set comes with a fun puzzle book that will help them tap into their imaginations. The set is durable and makes a great stocking stuffer.
Another favorite of mine is the Melissa & Doug Giddy Buggy Binoculars and Magnifier Set. Each set comes with a colorful pair of binoculars and a flower- or snake-shaped magnifying glass. This item is perfect for little explorers, and it sells for about $10. Binoculars are a great toy to foster
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This robot is loads of fun and kids will spend hours playing with him! Submitted by Brittany Wedd
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observation skills. Bring them on a family hike or a trip to the park, or use them indoors. Children are bound to have a good time discovering the world around them with these. Your children don't have to be rocket scientists to enjoy countless adventures in early space science with the Leap and Launch Rocket by Learning Resources. This stomp rocket toy is available for $39.99, and helps children build gross motor skills and learn about gravity. If you want to win big this holiday season, you can easily pair this toy with a book about space like “The Dinosaur That Pooped a Planet” by Dougie Poynter and Tom Fletcher. These outof-this-world gifts are guaranteed to bring hours of laughter to the kiddos in your life. If you're looking for tech gifts, the Botley Coding Robot is a must-have. This next-generation robot retails for around $60 and introduces children to block-based coding. We use this robot for preschool programs at Discovery Station because it helps to reinforce directional learning (i.e. move forward, backward, left and right). Botley Robot kits also include fun obstacles and grids, allowing the play to continue as children get older. Learning Resources provides free tips on its website to extend the fun and learning at home. You can't go wrong with Botley. If gifts of experience are what you're seeking, I recommend Discovery Station's family membership pass. It costs $80, and benefits include full-year free admission to Discovery Station, discounted birthday parties, 10% off gift shop purchases, complimentary Saturday STEAM programs and free admission to 380 participating museums outside of Hagerstown. It is an excellent gift for families, and it's kid-approved. Other toys that make great gifts are KEVA blocks, ZOOBMobiles, washable dot markers, any form of dramatic play costuming, flannel boards, and sensory and fidget toys. Learning Resources and Lakeshore Learning are retailers with a variety of options.
I made this gift for my son one holiday and he spent months playing with it. It just goes to show that you don't need to spend lots of money to make your child happy! Just put love and imagination into your gift. Submitted by Jessica Castle
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If money is tight or you want to make homemade gifts this year, you can easily recycle old toys, boxes, paper products, plastics and other items, and build a toy from scratch. We’ll be posting homemade toy ideas on Discovery Station’s website during the holiday season. Remember, the best gifts are ones that come from the heart. — Places
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