Educational Toys and Home Schooling:
How Can You Use Them? Where Can You Find Them?

Educational toys and games can serve an important part of home schooling. Well-thought out toys and games can help your kids stretch their imagination, learn to see patterns, and build their skills and coordination. The problem? Finding quality educational toys that do more than entertain, and then trying to fit them in with all the other stuff you are trying to do.

Let’s first think about how to fit learning games and toys into your already-busy home schooling day.

Tips:

• Allow yourself to have fun with your kids. One of the most valuable results of using games and toys is that you are building memories with your kids.

• Remember the purpose of educational toys and games. If you can keep in mind the reason behind why you want to include games, you will be more likely to set aside time to actually use them. If, however, you think they are just icing on the cake -- and you aren’t even sure you want your kids eating cake anyway --you’ll have a hard time motivating yourself to create the time needed to use them. Think about the benefits of educational toys and games. Among other things, they:
  • help your kids learn to recognize patterns,
  • give opportunities for creative problem solving, and thinking strategically,
  • give your kids practice in how to be good sports, and
  • are a great way to bring back some fun to your home schooling days if you are need of a boost of energy.

• Include educational toys or learning games on a regular basis. Here are some of our favorite ideas:
  • Fun Fridays. These are days when we take out the math games, geography games, or do a Sudoku puzzle. We love these Sudoku for Kids puzzles. They have ones even my four-year-old loves to do! These are one way to just have fun using some of what we’ve been learning in a new and different context,
  • Electives Week. Another time when we take a short break from regular curriculum and use games, projects and activities,
  • Family Game Night. A good chance to enjoy time together as well as use some brain cells. Not to mention how to be a good sport!

Where do you find the kind of educational toys and games that will make these fun times really valuable educationally? I have often felt like I was trying to find the Holy Grail when I was just wishing to find…

• toys that would help my kids explore and create rather than just be entertained,
• games that were “educational” but still so fun that my kids wanted to play them over and over again,
• toys that helped my kids grow in learning about themselves and the world around them,
• toys that had long-lasting appeal and durability,
• and, just one more thing…could I find toys for all of my four kids with a broad range of interests and ages toys… from just one catalog? Is it too much to wish for one-stop shopping for a variety of quality, educational toys and games?

Well, I did get my wish. And, non-shopper that I am, I am actually looking forward to the next Christmas season because I know right where I will go first for all of my on-line shopping needs -- for my own kids, the cousins, and other special friends:

Highlights For Children

You remember Highlights Magazine, don't you? Sitting in the doctor’s office, thumbing through to find the hidden pictures or the jokes and riddles pages?

Well, that same Highlights now has a website and catalog. Maybe their catalog for educational toys and games has been around for awhile, but I just found out about it last year (after Christmas, unfortunately!). I say unfortunately because I could honestly have done all of my shopping for my kids in this one catalog, saving hours of time if I had known. I was amazed to thumb through the catalog and see all of the gifts – a lap harp, a sewing machine, an electronics kit, a doll house– all items that I spent hours looking all over the Internet for, filling various shopping carts - in one place! Believe me, I know where I will start next year for my shopping!

So, I wanted to let you know about Higlights.com, since, like me, you might not have known about it. I am very impressed with the items it carries. You can find all sorts of educational toys including:

• Construction Toys for Girls and Boys
• Arts & Crafts Gifts for Kids
• Science & Discovery Gifts
• Improve math skills the FUN way with Highlights!
• Imaginative Play Toys
• Toys and Puzzles for Kids
• Games & Sports Gifts for Kids
• Highlights Catalog has lots of new toys and games!
• Get a special discount on Highlights for Children Magazine HERE!

If, however, you don’t find what you are looking for there, I have found these other sites to have very good quality materials. These are all places I have ordered from or that I go to first to look for unique and lasting educational toys. I think you’ll find them great places to find high quality toys, educational games and just fun stuff too:

• Timberdoodle Company's Educational Toys and Games (a home school catalog with lots of interesting toys, games, puzzles, and construction sets),

• Shop the National Geographic Gift Finder for Kids (they have a kids shop, and then their regular store has lots of interesting gift ideas beyond just the cool maps, too),

• Back to Basics Toys (lots of old-fashioned toys that stand the test of time),

• Educational toys and tools at ScientificsOnline.com. (tons of cool science things to do and make and play with),

• The NASA Space Store (can you tell we have some science buffs in our home?)

Personally, I know I could search all over the web for different educational toys and activities, but I’d rather spend my time with my kids, not my computer. I’ve discovered that I’d rather have a few good-quality places that I can return to year after year than spend time searching all the time. Whether you want a present for your own kids, the cousins, or for your daughter’s friend’s birthday, check out the educational toys and games at these places first, and then enjoy your time playing together!

If you know of other places to find quality educational toys and games, let me know by contacting me on our Contact Us page.

May you all enjoy your home schooling journey!

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