| Special things can happen with children and their toys. | | | | is. When there is a winner and a loser in a board |
| During my youth, I can’t recall a girl who didn’t | | | | game, one player is humbled while the other, hopefully, |
| own a Barbie or a boy who didn’t run about the | | | | learns to be a corteous winner. With the assistance of |
| yard bringing to battle action figures with whom he | | | | a focused parent, children will expand these skills. So |
| was going to save the world. Magnetic building sets | | | | popular are some board games that they are now |
| were spread all over the floors of every playroom I | | | | being made in ways that they can be played in the |
| entered as a kid, including my own. We would | | | | car. Travel games may not be as stimulating as the |
| construct incredible things with those LEGO sets; | | | | original board games, but it sure keeps a child engaged |
| towering buildings for our Barbie doll or stuffed toys to | | | | during the trip! |
| live in, a store for them to shop in; the potential was | | | | Since the 1940’s, fathers and sons have spent |
| only limited by our imaginations. While toys similar to | | | | hours of quality time over scale model sets . The |
| these don’t usually fit into the category of | | | | vibrantly colorful blocks in a Lego set bring out the |
| educational toys, they most certainly do teach children | | | | very best in a child’s imagination, and keep them |
| valuable lessons. | | | | occupied for days. What is so great about scale |
| Toys of all shapes and sizes and genres are important | | | | model sets is that just one set could produce a |
| to children, even those that parents may not at first | | | | number of different items, from a animal to a gas |
| believe to be educational toys. This is as true today as | | | | station. Over the years, Lego sets have grown to |
| it was years ago when I sat playing board games with | | | | where there are now sets specifically for girls, such as |
| my sister. Youngsters learn a lot of things by playing, | | | | the Belville line. Of course, boys love Lego sets like |
| and they cultivate their imaginations and their critical | | | | Bionicles or Star Wars. But all children practice |
| thinking skills. While parents may think that only | | | | dexterity and creativity through Lego sets, and |
| educational games would actually be able to teach a | | | | that’s what is really important. |
| child anything, that would be a mistake. In essence, | | | | Need more understanding of the value of Lego sets |
| most toys are educational toys when you understand | | | | as an educational toy? Studies show that children |
| that a child learns from free play. | | | | develop new brain connections when working with |
| Strategy games, while supplying a lot of entertainment, | | | | scale model sets . By merely playing with their Lego |
| also work on cultivating a child’s reasoning talents | | | | set, children also learn spatial concepts, |
| as well as coping skills. Not everyone is a winner when | | | | cause-and-effect, and fine motor skills. There’s no |
| playing board games, and occasionally losing at | | | | better way to learn! |
| something is as important for a child to learn as winning | | | | |