Not all 'educational' toys encourage early learning, experts say

20 Nov 2008

Many 'educational' toys for young children offer little or no developmental benefits, a team of experts suggests.

A group of paediatric speech and language experts, educational psychologists and teachers from Talking Tots have highlighted that parents are spending around £1.4 billion each year on toys which they believe will boost their child's learning.

In response, the toddler activity group has chosen a list of the best 'educational' toys available as part of its 2008 Great Toy Awards.

"We considered more than 3,000 toys for inclusion in the guide and many of the most popular items are no more educational than the box they come in," said co-founder of Talking Tots, Tracey Park.

"We launched the Great Toy Awards to recognise toys that are designed to really work with children's early developmen and that combine educational value with fun and great value for money."

The winners included Hammering Set by Absorbent Minds, the Tickety-Boo Tea Time Tray Set and Cookie Shapes from Learning Resources.

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