We’re living in the digital age and as such, there are plenty of tech toys around. As with all toys, each is suitable for different kids. So how to choose?
The Times of Oman has posted a nice guide which helps out. Today there are so many tech toys. From interactive stuffed animals to dolls to computers and smartphones.
“In many ways, it’s a Golden Age for children and play. There are more options — physical toys, games, digital devices and content — than ever before. But there’s a downside to more play options. Too many choices make it harder to find high-quality toys ideally suited to a specific child’s needs, interests and abilities,” says David Kleeman, an ambassador with The Genius of Play, a nonprofit initiative dedicated to promoting the importance of play in children’s learning and development based in the US.
So, in order to be able to choose the right tech toys, you have to ask yourself the right questions.
Here’s what The Genius of Play says:
• Does a doll that’s equipped with technology change the way your child can play with it? Can the doll still be carried, fed and bathed? If the doll uses artificial intelligence to “communicate” with children, does this guide or restrict the conversation so much that it’s no longer spontaneous or imaginative?
• Does a ball with added technology make it difficult to roll, throw or kick? If so, is it in fact still a ball?
• Does a digital board game make all the decisions so that the players are left watching the computer play?
• Is a screen-based construction app like a bottomless box of pieces with which the child can freely envision and create, or is building limited to a few pre-programmed models?
When you choose the right toys, you will bring more value to your kids. They will be entertained more and for longer. And more importantly, the toys will help them hone their skills even more.
