Most of what I sell and love are toys that let the kids be in charge of the direction of the play.  I’m drawn to those toys, games and puzzles that encourage creative thinking (the young innovators of the future!) and which leave the child in charge.

Through play, children learn about themselves, their environment, people and the world around them.  In fact, play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child! Play develops dexterity and helps the child master their environment. Play contributes to a child’s self esteem by allowing them to feel secure,  successful and capable.  Sharing play experiences  with a parent can also create strong bonds between parent and child.

Toys that allow children to build are great for encouraging creative thinking and problem solving.  This is probably why a good set of blocks has always been a must  have on toy for every child.  The great thing about a good set of blocks is that the child can build over and over.  The creations are endless and each new structure provides a sense of pride to the child as he or she has worked hard to make each structure take their envisioned form.  Atomium, Varis, and Cugolino are among the many excellent choices for building toys.

Creative thinking is certainly fostered by toys that allow your child to imagine.   Most often your child will imagine not only the situations but also the word exchange which is great for their language development and communications skills.  It is great for your child to have the chance to think outside the box and my kids love to pretend and imagine both with me and by themselves.  I love listening to them make the voices and movements of their toys in the next room!  Kellner Stick Figure Toys,  scooters, and stuffed animals are great toys that encourage imagination.Puzzles are also great for problem solving and creative thinking as well as teaching concentration and patience.  There is a huge variety of puzzling toys and 3D ones are often particularly fun and challenging like Brain String Advanced.  Cuboro marble track system even combines the puzzle and building aspects to achieve endless fun and the antidote to any short attention span! 

Here are some guidelines for playing with your child:

• Interact – take an active role and play along side the child but let them lead the play most of the time
• Observe – watch your child and them positive feedback
• Be creative – set aside your grown up self and rediscover the child within yourself

Toys are the props of play. Choose toys that leave the child in charge and that can be played with in multiple ways and have fun!

Toys By Kids keeps growing!  Welcome to Round 5 – the Summer Free for All. 

As usual, we the idea of the contest is to let kids’s imaginations run wild a bit by asking:

“If you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be?”

In Round 5, we go back to the “no rules” original idea from Round 1.  Anything goes — any idea, any size, any color, shape or dimension.  Natural and physical laws can be set aside — only imagination is required.

The rest of the contest is the same as for all TBK Rounds.  If you missed it, here is what we said when we first started the idea:

For a parent, one of the great things about toys is the amount of fun you have watching your kids play with them!  Who does not like to see their child have fun and stretch their brain through pretending, building, and just plain playing?

Toys are often the tool that children use to play, the prop they use in pretending, and the unit by which they can build.  But what if the toy was something they could create in their imagination?   I am sure there would be some great, surprising ideas!  After all, children do not have the same filters or preconceptions as adults do.

In this spirit, ask your child, 

“If  you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would the toy be?”

Then share  the answers with us here or on Facebook.  Comment on each other’s ideas.

This is meant to be a fun experience for you and your child to enjoy together.   The natural laws of the universe do not have to apply:  No bad ideas.  Practicality?  Pshaw!  Let your child run with their imagination without inhibition as they create their special toy.

Required Entry:

Leave a comment with your child’s toy creation as well as the child’s age here as a Comment on this blog.  Photos or drawings may also be posted at Facebook.com/ohtoys.

Bonus Entries:

• If you have more than one child, you may leave an additional comment for each child with their toy creation and age.
• Upload child’s drawing of his or her special toy creation to www.Facebook.com/ohtoys.
• Get your friends (and your child’s friends) to Like your child’s idea.

Contest Rules:

This contest is sponsored by Oh! Toys.  The winner will be chosen using random.org.  Entry period is May June 13- July 1, 2011 Midnight EST.  The winner will receive a 10% Gift  Code to Oh! Toys.

All decisions are final.

Looking for summer toy ideas?  Check out Family Focus Blog’s latest feature at http://bit.ly/iVHK57

Scarlet does her usual terrific job at the what and why of some great toys.  Yes, we are completely biased, but that doesn’t mean she isn’t right!

Toys By Kids keeps growing!  Welcome to Round 4. 

This time, the only new thing is SOUND.  As usual, we the idea of the contest is to let kids’s imaginations run wild a bit by asking:

“If you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be?”

For Round 2, however, let’s see what happens when the kids are asked to think about another aspect of their creations.  Let’s ask the question this way:

“If  you could have a toy that could make any kind of sound,
what would the toy be? What would the sound be?”

The rest of the contest is the same as for all TBK Rounds.  If you missed it, here is what we said when we first started the idea:

For a parent, one of the great things about toys is the amount of fun you have watching your kids play with them!  Who does not like to see their child have fun and stretch their brain through pretending, building, and just plain playing?

Toys are often the tool that children use to play, the prop they use in pretending, and the unit by which they can build.  But what if the toy was something they could create in their imagination?   I am sure there would be some great, surprising ideas!  After all, children do not have the same filters or preconceptions as adults do.

In this spirit, ask your child, 

“If  you could have a toy that could make any kind of sound,
what would the toy be? What would the sound be?”

Then share  the answers with us here or on Facebook.  Comment on each other’s ideas.

This is meant to be a fun experience for you and your child to enjoy together.   The natural laws of the universe do not have to apply:  No bad ideas.  Practicality?  Pshaw!  Let your child run with their imagination without inhibition as they create their special toy.

Required Entry:

Leave a comment with your child’s toy creation as well as the child’s age here as a Comment on this blog.  Photos or drawings may also be posted at Facebook.com/ohtoys.

Bonus Entries:

• If you have more than one child, you may leave an additional comment for each child with their toy creation and age.
• Upload child’s drawing of his or her special toy creation to www.Facebook.com/ohtoys.
• Get your friends (and your child’s friends) to Like your child’s idea.

Contest Rules:

This contest is sponsored by Oh! Toys.  The winner will be chosen using random.org.  Entry period is May 24- June 7, 2011 Midnight EST.  The winner will receive a $15 Gift  Code to Oh! Toys.

All decisions are final.

Congratulations to Kim and Evan, winners of Round 3 of Toys By Kids and a free “Evan” Name Train!

Toys By Kids, Round 4, begins tomorrow — Check in to see the newest contest.

Welcome to our third “Toys by Kids” contest.  Our prize this month is a Name Train from Maple Landmarks (any name between 3 and 10 letters long.  Appropriately, this month’s contest  adds one twist.  As usual, we the idea of the contest is to let kids’s imaginations run wild a bit by asking:

“If you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be?”

For Round 3, however, the twist is in Naming the Toy.  This round’s entries should ask the question this way:

“If  you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be? 

What would you call or name it?”

The rest of the contest is the same as for previous rounds.  If you missed them, here is what we said when we first started the idea:

For a parent, one of the great things about toys is the amount of fun you have watching your kids play with them!  Who does not like to see their child have fun and stretch their brain through pretending, building, and just plain playing?

Toys are often the tool that children use to play, the prop they use in pretending, and the unit by which they can build.  But what if the toy was something they could create in their imagination?   I am sure there would be some great, surprising ideas!  After all, children do not have the same filters or preconceptions as adults do.

In this spirit, ask your child, 

“If  you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be? 

What would you call or name it?”

Then share  the answers with us here or on Facebook.  Comment on each other’s ideas.

This is meant to be a fun experience for you and your child to enjoy together.   The natural laws of the universe do not have to apply:  No bad ideas.  Practicality?  Pshaw!  Let your child run with their imagination without inhibition as they create their special toy.

Required Entry:

Leave a comment with your child’s toy creation as well as the child’s age here as a Comment on this blog.  Photos or drawings may also be posted at Facebook.com/ohtoys.

Bonus Entries:

• If you have more than one child, you may leave an additional comment for each child with their toy creation and age.
• Upload child’s drawing of his or her special toy creation to www.Facebook.com/ohtoys.
• Get your friends (and your child’s friends) to Like your child’s idea.

Contest Rules:

This contest is sponsored by Oh! Toys.  The winner will be chosen using random.org.  Entry period is May 6-20, 2011 Midnight EST.  The winner will receive their choice of a Name Train (between 3 and 10 letters) from Oh! Toys.

All decisions are final.

First, congratulations to Mia Carey, winner of our first Toys by Kids contest!  Check previous posts or on our Facebook page for her entry (and everyone else’s)!

Our second round adds one twist.  As usual, we the idea of the contest is to let kids’s imaginations run wild a bit by asking:

“If you could have a toy that could do or be anything, what would it be?”

For Round 2, however, let’s see what happens when the kids are asked to “think big.”  This round’s entries should ask the question this way:

“If  you could have a really big toy that could do or be anything, what would it be? 

How big do you think  it would be?”

The rest of the contest is the same as for Round 1.  If you missed it, here is what we said when we first started the idea:

For a parent, one of the great things about toys is the amount of fun you have watching your kids play with them!  Who does not like to see their child have fun and stretch their brain through pretending, building, and just plain playing?

Toys are often the tool that children use to play, the prop they use in pretending, and the unit by which they can build.  But what if the toy was something they could create in their imagination?   I am sure there would be some great, surprising ideas!  After all, children do not have the same filters or preconceptions as adults do.

In this spirit, ask your child, “If  you could have a really big toy that could do or be anything, what would it be?  How big do you think  it would be?”

Then share  the answers with us here or on Facebook.  Comment on each other’s ideas.

This is meant to be a fun experience for you and your child to enjoy together.   The natural laws of the universe do not have to apply:  No bad ideas.  Practicality?  Pshaw!  Let your child run with their imagination without inhibition as they create their special toy.

Required Entry:

Leave a comment with your child’s toy creation as well as the child’s age here as a Comment on this blog.  Photos or drawings may also be posted at Facebook.com/ohtoys.

Bonus Entries:

• If you have more than one child, you may leave an additional comment for each child with their toy creation and age.
• Upload child’s drawing of his or her special toy creation to www.Facebook.com/ohtoys.
• Get your friends (and your child’s friends) to Like your child’s idea.

Contest Rules:

This contest is sponsored by Oh! Toys.  The winner will be chosen using random.org.  Entry period is April 21 – May 5, 2011 Midnight EST.  The winner will receive a $10 Gift  Code to Oh! Toys.

All decisions are final.

Thank you for some great ideas!  I hope you’re all getting the kick that I am out of seeing what everyone is writing. 

We are waiting for permission to announce the winner,  but there will be a new round of Toys by Kids starting tomorrow – the basic rules will be the same, but there may be one or two variations, just to spark those amazing imaginations!

We’ve had some fun (and funny) entries so far.  We hope you get a chance to “interview” your child today about what toy they’d like if the toy could do or be anything.  Entries will close at midnight tonight (way past MY bedtime, by the way!).

In case you want more information, check out Scarlet’s great post on our Toys by Kids conversation at http://bit.ly/dKIZ2C.