When we’re still kids, there are no Ipads, Iphones, Ipods, smartphones, Xbox, Wii, PSPs, Leapfrogs, and laptops and other gadgets for kids. Yet, we took pleasures in simple things like dolls for girls and yellow toy trucks for boys. Our parents must have been happy then, toys weren’t as expensive as today, quite a relief, =).
Sometimes (sometimes lang ha), I find it as a blessing to have a frugal husband because Jeff will be my kunsensya that will just appear whenever I’m gonna buy an expensive-considered-as-luxury item for the little girl. Our disagreement whether to buy or not to buy mostly came in buying children’s toys. In this case, frugality and practicality wins.
So let me share to you some fun and educational toys for the kids, the old school style:
- Flash cards – Kids can learn the alphabet, know the animals, fruits, etc. by the illustrations on the cards.
- Clay – It teaches hand-eye coordination. It strengthens the child’s muscle. It develops their imagination and creativity.
- Dolls and Plush Toys – Kids can use them for the pretend play, again, one great way to improve their imagination.
- Play Pretend Toys – Kitchen sets for your future chef, doctor’s kit for your future doctor, etc….
- Coloring books and lotsa crayons – Unleash their inner Da Vinci.
- Magnetic sketchpad – Gwen loves her sketchpad so much. I draw animals and letters to her and she’ll tell me what they are.
- Shape sorters and puzzles – These hone their problem-solving skills and hand-eye coordination. It will also give them satisfaction once they accomplish the puzzle.
These are just some of the educational toys you can give to your children, and these won’t cost you over a thousand pesos.It will be just as fun as long as mommy and daddy is playing too.
Oh, and Jeff also believes that outdoor play is the best learning tool. He wants to call the outdoors as classroom without walls, read my post about it: Missing the rural life.
Good article.
Though I don’t call these “old school” toys.
These are “age-appropriate toys”, and are the highly recommended toys for toddlers and preschool.
There’s a reason why gadgets like ipad and xbox or Ps and other electronic toys, are not recommended for children. Not recommended at all but still most parents let them play it not thinking about the “maturity” of the child if she or he can handle expensive, easy to break objects. Not to mention the things they learn and the things they dont learn.
Responsible parents do not allow their children to be absorbed in an electronic or video game, instead they let their kids experience and exercise their children’s minds and practice using all the body parts with sensorial toys like blocks and shape sorters.
🙂
Thanks Christine! Although sometimes, I’m guilty of letting my daughter watch Barney or Mickey Mouse when I don’t want to be disturbed 😀
Gwen is growing so fast! Those toys are the best ones to have kids play with. 🙂
hmmmmm… my aunt always let’s her play with her tab. Children these days definitely need more time to play with age appropriate toys.
(following you now via GFC feel free to follow back… ^^)
I agree that old school toys are still the best toys for kids. I even let Lucas play and get creative with household items (plastic saucers, tumblers). Tipid pa! :)Ang cute ng play corner ni Gwen!
Ay nako, when Rap was still a toddler, walang appeal sa kanya ang store-bought toys. His favorite was the tabo. The tabo would be anything from his make pretend friend to his sword and whatever he imagines it to be. Weird, LOL!
Younger kids are easier to please because they easily get excited to see new toys/stuff, and they won’t really mind if the toys/stuff are inexpensive or not because they don’t have an idea yet of how much these tings cost, so take advantage of that.