We play to learn!

I was very excited to meet Dr. Toy on my trip to Hawaii to do an event with my Discovery Toys team. As you know, many Discovery Toys products are Dr. Toy Award Winners. It was a great pleasure to talk with her and find out how she chose particular Discovery Toys products to be listed on her "best toys" lists. What I found out is that many of the same criteria that Discovery Toys, Inc. uses to create their products are the same ones Dr. Toy uses to rate products! That is why so many Discovery Toys products make her lists.

I also received a copy of her book that has tons of great information about how children learn and how we can help them develop all of their skills.

As I was reading her book, "Smart Play Smart Toys: How to Raise A Child With A High Play Quotient (PQ) ", I could not help but think back to all the fun toys we had or toys we made when I was a child. All those hours of constructing a new toy, imaginary play, and having fun sharing the toys with my brothers and sisters. All good memories centered around toys and playing!! I also remembered all the hours I spent reading with my mom and expanding my world through books. I thought back and remembered all the times I read Nancy Drew books late into the night because I could not put them down. I remembered the books I got as a child and how much I valued them and read them again and again. It is fun when a book you are reading at 41 years old brings you back to a fun time in your life where you had so many wonderful memories of play, toys & books, and family!

I was also reminded about how much children learn from positive play with their parents. Parents who choose good toys and books for their children and then play or read with them form wonderful memories and develop bonds with their children that will last a lifetime. Playing with the toys with our children is FUN!! We also learn how to help them as we closely observe thier natural strengths & areas where they need help. The best part about playing with your children is that you can find great toys that will help you meet your child's needs. The more you know about your child and what toys they like to play with, the better choices you will make when purchasing toys for your child.

I have always played for hours with my girls to test out our toys and see how they use these "tools". I have been constantly amazed at what my girls have learned from playing with the toys and how fun it was to learn these skills through play. As I noticed a few special areas each of my girls needed "help" in, I was able to pick toys to enhance that area as well as reinforce other skills in a fun way. We also have game days where even Jeff gets involved!!

We pick out several games and throughout the day, we stop and play a game together. Sometimes it is the whole family, sometimes it is Jeff or I and the girls or just the girls by themselves. By the end of the day, we have played all the games and had hours of fun throughout the day. I think the most fun is when Lexi (3 years) shows her dad how the toys work or the game is played and then wins:)

 

For more information or to purchase a copy of the book, please visit www.drtoy.com.