Old-Fashioned Toys Better for Kids than Video Games, Pediatricians Say

Video games and electronic games are great fun.  But they have limitations.  Normally you are in the world someone else designed, your imagination isn’t creating.  So you are limited by what someone else created.  Another limitation is you are often sedentary while you play (think couch potato).  You need to move to improve motor skills and stay at a healthy weight.  Physical play is the best way to develop a healthy body.

Computer and video games do teach some fine motor skills which are going to be extremely important in our future world.  But if these types of games dominate your child’s play you aren’t helping your child become their very best.

For school readiness children need to know:

• Impulse Control
• Managing Emotions
• Creative Thinking

These are learned best through simply playing with others.

Person to person interaction teaches language skills, how the world works, and provides feedback that reinforces learning good behaviors.

Toys that force kids to use their imaginations are the types of toys that spark creativity.

Look for toys that encourage:

Pretending: Barbies, Little People, GI Joe, dress ups, any items that require your imagination to make them fun.

Motor Skills: (Actions that involve the movement of muscles in the body) Blocks develop hand eye coordination and learning to balance things.   Other toys could include beads to string or learning to tie a shoe, zip and button clothing.

 Art:  Drawing Sets, Paints, Colors

Language:  Books are super for increasing vocabulary.  Music is also another way that new words can be introduced to a child.

Physical play:  Soccer Balls, Basketball, Bikes, Stilts, Swing Sets, Balls, Bats, and Trampolines.  All of us need to be moving more for better health and better weight management.