Interactive toys spur brain-building - Learning

USA Today (Society for the Advancement of Education), Dec, 2003

Parents often search for intellectually stimulating toys for holiday gift giving. However, a child psychologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas maintains that the best toy is one that fosters parent-child interaction. "Learning and play experiences take place when the toy is more interactive, and, more importantly, the parent takes time to [engage] the child while he [or she] plays," asserts Peter Stavinoha, assistant professor of psychiatry. "Stimulating your child is a parent's job, not a toy's job."

Mothers and fathers should remember that toys--no matter how much they cost or how much they amuse with buttons, sounds, or flashing lights--can not substitute for parent-child playtime interaction, according to Stavinoha. He adds that there is no conclusive proof that one kind of plaything is best. "The toys touted as intellectually stimulating are not necessarily going to make your child smarter than any other toy. The ... impact on development depends on how it is used, the interaction it promotes, the language that is used to discuss the toy, and the level of pretend play that it [elicits]."

When it comes to selecting a "brain-building" holiday gift, newer versions with electronic gadgets and sound-making features are not necessarily better than tried-and-true ones. A youngster can develop important life skills such as ethics, values, and work habits even from the simplest articles as long as a parent plays a key role during playtime. "Playing with crayons, drawing, and painting unleash the creativity in a child and encourage old-fashioned imagination and exploration. If a [youngster] simply hits the reset button on an electronic game, it can prevent [him or her] from learning to tolerate frustration."

Working with building blocks, for instance, can be challenging. As a youngster stacks the blocks, the tower may wobble and fall. Rebuilding the tower teaches problem-solving, how to deal with failure, and the persistence to work through it.