Babies 

Newborns and very young babies don’t see themselves as being their own person but you can still lay the groundwork for healthy self-esteem by showing your baby they are loved through:

• Caring for your baby gently
• Responding when your baby cries
• Giving lots of cuddles and smiles.

Toddlers 

Toddlers are beginning to develop an understanding of themselves, what they can do and what makes them who they are. It’s a good idea to let them make their own decisions by:

• Allowing them to explore their environment (whilst monitoring them and responding calmly yet caringly if they need you) 
• Letting them make reasonable decisions, i.e. what they want to wear or eat, allowing for a sense of control that helps confidence to develop 
• Gently teaching them the concept of sharing.

Preschoolers

By around three years, most children realise that their bodies and minds belong to them. Most children can cope with some time away from their families by now, because they feel safe and loved. At this age, they often like to compare themselves with others. Positive yet balanced feedback is a good way to respond, letting your child feel pride in themselves while also sending the message that other people are important and can do things well too.

Primary schoolers 

At school, children may compare themselves more and more with their peers. This can put a dent in their self-esteem, as they might feel less capable than others for the very first time. Learning new things, getting graded, competing with others, and adapting to new rules can be a real challenge for many children and may even cause some anxiety. Some ways you can help are by:

• Giving extra love and cuddles at the end and start of a school day
• Focussing on your child’s strengths and the effort they put in. Praise your child for what they’re good at, and let them know you’re proud of them for trying things that are difficult 
• Giving them opportunities to try and learn new things
• Helping them understand that they will get better at certain things with time and that nobody is good at everything, especially at the start
• Teaching them some basics about interacting with others (i.e. being a good friend by smiling, sharing, playing fair, being honest etc.) and practicing at home
• Fostering a good, transparent relationship between school and home by talking with your child’s teacher and getting involved with their homework and/or school events 
• Watching out for signs of learning problems and bullying or other social difficulties that can affect your child’s self-esteem. For advice on how to address these situations, read our blog on how to talk to children when times are tough.

Looking after yourself

It’s also a great idea to teach your child about good self-esteem and wellbeing through modelling it in yourself. You can do this by:

• Taking pride in your achievements and/or expressing what you’re good at
• Showing kindness to yourself through positive self-talk when you’re learning something new and/or make a mistake 
• Looking after yourself through practising self-love and self-awareness, rest and relaxation and connection with your family.

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It can be a challenge to find new gift ideas, and even more challenging to find a gift that is going to last and provide long-term benefits for your child. But have you considered educational toys?

Educational Toys

Educational toys are not just for having fun, and can be fundamental in helping children learn about themselves, their environment and develop lifelong knowledge and skills. This is through the promotion of physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and language development during play, which is actively engaging and intrinsically motivated. Educational toys help children to learn new skills, including problem solving, conflict resolution and fine and gross motor skills. These toys inspire early creativity/imagination, while also assisting in children’s brain development. Kids can start benefiting from interaction with educational toys as early as one month old.

Finding the Best Toy

Educational Toys Online is operated by a team of educational and developmental psychologists, who are passionate about helping kids, toddlers and babies learn and grow. Using this experience, we research and hand select the best toys that are scientifically demonstrated to support healthy development, while promoting enjoyment during independent and group play. We also stock specialist products to assist young people with Dyslexia, Autism, ADHD and other special educational needs / learning differences, to develop their skills in a safe and fun way through play.

Better still, the biggest price cuts in Educational Toys Online’s history are happening right now! With up to 50% off on a huge range of toys and free gift wrapping on all of our orders. We dispatch fast, meaning that late orders can make their way under your kids Christmas tree in time for the 25th. Our Christmas sale is only available for a limited time and our stock is flying off the shelves, so get in quick and gift your child an unforgettably fun learning experience they’re sure to love!

References

https://newdimensionoz.com.au/2017/05/03/why-educational-toys-are-important/#:~:text=Educational%20toys%20can%20build%20social,all%20of%20these%20build%20confidence.

The post What to get kids for Christmas? appeared first on Educational Toys Online.

Melissa and Doug Farm Chunky Puzzle

Sale!

$28.95 $19.95 AUD

BRAND: Melissa and Doug
AGE:  2+ Years

A beautiful illustrated 7-piece wooden puzzle featuring farm animals, ideal for little hands.

Have fun on the farm with this extra-thick wooden puzzle. It includes seven easy-grasp, chunky farm animals and a barn. Each piece has a full-color, matching picture underneath. There are 2 ways to play – Place pieces in the puzzle board or the barn and animal pieces stand upright for pretend play.

Encourages hand-eye, fine motor and creative expression skills. Recommended for children 2 – 4 years.

HABA Doctor Play Set

Sale!

$52.00 $32.00 AUD

BRAND: HABA
AGE:  2+ years

Oh dear, teddy has a sore tummy! Quickly fetch the HABA Doctor Play Set!

Your little one can now help cure his or her sick friends with this cute medical set. With all sorts of accessories in one handy doctor case, it’s perfect for house calls.

Instruments include a prescription book, surgical mask stethoscope, blood pressure gauge and a bandage. 

The kit brings pretend play to life while inspiring future doctors and nurses! Recommended for children aged 2 years and older.

Melissa and Doug Alphabet Magnets

Sale!

$25.99 $19.95 AUD

BRAND: Melissa and Doug
AGE:  3 – 6 Years

Ideal for letter recognition, matching, and stenciling, these must-have letters spell “learning fun”! Develop creative, critical thinking and language skills in a fun way.

These brightly coloured upper and lowercase letters are great to use on any surface, and will help your child learn there letters as well as forming words as they develop there language further.

The magnets store conveniently in their handy wooden case. These 52 magnetic uppercase and lowercase letters make a colorful jumble of learning possibilities.

Recommended for children 3 – 6 years.

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The post Arts and Crafts for Kids Recommendations appeared first on Educational Toys Online.

At the heart of engineering is problem solving! For example, engineers will:

1. 1. Ask – Define Problem 
   2. Imagine – Brainstorm Ideas & Select the Best
   3. Plan – Draw a Diagram & Collect Materials
   4. Create – Follow Plan and Test 
   5. Improve – Discuss Possible Improvements & Repeat  

Through this process, Katehie and colleagues (2009) believe children can build the following skills: systems thinking, creativity, optimism, and collaboration, which are essential for living in the 21st century!

• Systems Thinking

This refers to being able to recognise the connections in the world – i.e. learning that making change to one system or structure can have an influence on another one. Basically, it reinforces the concept of cause and effect but on a greater level and lets children realise actions may have consequences that are not obvious or seen straight away!

• Creativity

The process of brainstorming ideas and creating a plan in engineering is a great example of creativity! It’s important to remember outside of literacy, music or art etc. that creativity can be explored in other areas – even in the STEM world! 

• Optimism

Engineering, as we said, is a process of improvement and problem solving- when children partake in engineering activities they start to see how many possibilities and opportunities there are in every task or challenge! Through partaking in these activities they build persistence and self-confidence. This in term helps children develop a sense of self-efficacy which has a profound impact on their greater development

• Collaboration

Working together, sharing ideas, and seeking out the opinions and perspectives of others are a crucial part of engineering challenges! It’s a great way to foster cooperation and social/communication skills in young children. 

So what are some Engineering Activities?!

Follow the links to these pages for some of our favourite activities to complete at home!

• The Foil Boat Engineering Challenge  

The challenge is to create a foil boat out of drinking straws and a sheet of foil!  

• Block Challenge Flash Cards

Create a pack of cards with different structures (bridge, ramp, pyramid, tallest building possible!) to build with a set of blocks of all shapes & sizes.

• Marshmallow and Toothpick (or spaghetti) Tower

References

Cheng, J. (2008). Excite kids about engineering. The Technology Teacher, 67(7), 26.

DiFrancesca, D., Lee, C., & McIntyre, E. (2014). Where is the “E” in STEM for young children? engineering design education in an elementary teacher preparation program. Issues in Teacher Education, 23(1), 49.

Latham, D., & Vaughn, J. (2012). Bridges and tunnels : Investigate feats of engineering with 25 projects. Vermont: Nomad Press. 

The post Why to Explore Engineering appeared first on Educational Toys Online.

Due to the complex nature of maths, and the variety of factors involved, kids learn at different paces and in different ways. Some kids require hands-on experiences, some require opportunity to practice drills repeatedly, some need step-by-step break downs, whereas some just get it! Furthermore, some kids will struggle more than others, and could be experiencing a specific learning difficulty with mathematics called Dyscalculia.

Studies have shown children who do not have opportunities to practise mathematical skills, and have not mastered foundational mathematical ideas prior to commencing schooling, may be disadvantaged when it comes to formal schooling. Studies have also shown introducing kids to numeracy in early childhood is important for overall academic achievement.

So it’s important parents and caregivers are introducing maths at home to help kids develop ‘number sense’.

Number sense refers to an intuitive grasp of numbers, i.e. a child’s fluidity and flexibility with numbers, understanding how numbers relate to one another, the ability to perform simple mental math, use numbers to solve problems, and spot unreasonable answers.

Here are some tips for at home:

1. Play maths activities and games!

Maths games make the process fun and motivating, it helps kids develop number sense and get involved without the threat of grades or embarrassment they may experience in a formal classroom environment. They also increase a child’s confidence in maths and are able to transfer information learned through the games into the classroom. Check out our range here

2. Introduce maths in everyday life!

Practising maths skills in context makes a child’s learning more relevant – and provides an opportunity to deepen their understanding and enhance their number sense. These activities are helpful for home:

• With your child, take a handful of marbles, paper clips, pencils – anything that can produce ‘a bunch of’. Ask your child to guess and write down an estimate of how many are in the bunch, then count to confirm. Counting while using their hands is perfect for kids who learn better with tactile validation.
• For older children, open your wallet, separate coins and notes into their denominations and together add up the total amount of money
• Collect a group of toys or items in their room and line them up from lightest to heaviest – then get out scales and weigh them to confirm their estimations.

3. Don’t worry if Maths isn’t your strong suit!

A study of first and second grade children found those with maths-anxious parents tended to learn less maths and were more likely to have maths anxiety themselves –when their parents provided were involved frequently in helping with maths homework.

Though parents had great intentions, conveying their own attitudes towards maths can be detrimental to the child.  If an individual experiences maths-anxiety, their performance is affected as their working memory is consumed with worry and anxiety – and they don’t have enough left to do the actual maths. So, how can maths-anxious parents help their children at maths? Dr. Cooper suggests that parents of young children create a maths-positive environment by modelling “maths behaviour.” The game plan: Tell your child, “‘You have your maths homework, and I have mine,'” he said, and show them whenever you “count your change, calculate when dinner will be ready, look at prices in a grocery store.

References

Stearns, M. (2013). LEARNING MATH: Why kids get frustrated and what parents can do: Ideas to share with parents. The Education Digest, 78(5), 38.

Toys

Melissa and Doug Wooden Abacus

MasterKidz Geometric Fraction Board

Djeco Mini Games Where Are You Pioupiou

ThinkFun Math Dice Jr. Game

The post Introducing Maths in the Early Years appeared first on Educational Toys Online.

Why does this matter?

Many of us often don’t realise just how much of our lives incorporate science, and how scientific issues impact us and modern society e.g. human health, the climate and environment.

According to practitioners, science is key to the future health and economic prosperity of a nation, and the community must understand what is a question of science, and how public policy can be informed by science. It is essential we learn how to develop informed opinions about important issues, personally assess the facts, and separate the fact from opinion. In the future, there will be plenty of exciting and important jobs in science, e.g. in renewable energy, medical discoveries, technological advances and the climate/environment. Creating positive experiences around science can spark ideas in kids’ minds allowing them to see themselves as capable of one day creating solutions to big problems or making new discoveries! By fostering a positive attitude towards science in the early years, you can create life-long habits of learning, thinking and enquiry!

So how can you engage your child’s interest in science?

Fortunately, kids are naturally curious, but this natural curiosity can sometimes be dampened through the structured approaches usually taken when learning about science. So it’s important to keep the fun and enjoyment in this area of learning! Here are 3 tips to make the most of their curiosity and make learning science fun!

1. Follow the child’s interests

To promote your child’s interest in science, let their curiosity dictate and follow their interests! If they enjoy nature, go outside where there are endless opportunities for scientific activities. For example, look at leaves and compare different textures, colours and sizes, or start a mini garden and teach your child how plants grow. Your child may be interested in trucks and engines, go to the park and watch cars and trucks drive by, or look at the sky for planes. Similarly, if they like to help you in the kitchen, bake together or do some experiments mixing simple ingredients together and talk about how different substances mix together and make something new, whilst some don’t!

By ensuring the activities are based around the child’s interests, they’re more likely to be actively involved, engaged, and take initiative in their own learning! This is key as research has indicated taking initiative in learning is beneficial for overall academic success (not just science-related).

2. Engage in hands-on activities to construct knowledge

You don’t need lots of fancy equipment or to carry out complex experiments when exploring science at home. However, providing hands-on experiences for kids provides stronger learning opportunities than simply reading about or being told about scientific facts. Children also benefit from opportunities to learn the same material or ideas in different settings – not just in the classroom but at home while playing too. Below we’ve listed a few simple, at-home science activities:

For toddlers, the following can be helpful activities:

• Play with sand or water wheels
• Sorting and naming materials
• Manipulating Play-dough
• Musical instruments
• Growing things e.g. plants, toys that expand in water

For Preschoolers, try the following activities:

• Blowing bubbles & bubble printing on paper
• Explore how certain liquids don’t mix e.g. water and oil – click here to try this lava lamp activity
• Try a gardening project, together planting seeds, watering the plants and watching their plants grow!
• Explore ramps – use cardboard or wood and toys on wheels (e.g. car) and explore the speed the toys travel with different materials e.g. sand paper, glossy paper etc.
• Baking soda & vinegar reactions – add food colouring for extra fun!

There are also plenty of educational toys designed to encourage exploration and hands-on scientific fun, such as bug kits, binoculars, skeletons and globes, solar systems etc. Click here to check out our range.

3. Use Inquiry-Based Learning

Finally, inquiry-based learning is key for supporting young scientists! It’s a form of active learning that starts by posing questions, problems or scenarios—rather than presenting established facts or statements of ideas. As the parent, you can facilitate this by asking lots of what questions and encouraging questioning, observation and communicating findings! Instead of asking why, which may imply there is a correct answer e.g. “why are those ants going there?”, asking “what do you think those ants are doing?” can promote more thought and predictions, which  stimulates investigations!

References

Marincola, E. (2006). Why is public science education important? Journal of Translational Medicine, 4, 7. http://doi.org/10.1186/1479-5876-4-7 

Recommended Toys:

Trends Science Explorer Globe

Mini Skeleton 46cm

HABA Terra Kids Microscope

The post Kids & Science – Fun Ways to Learn! appeared first on Educational Toys Online.

Language comprehension and expression is a very complex area of development, made up of many parts including:

• Sounds: learning and distinguishing sounds
• Content: words and vocabulary that make up the meaning of our messages
• Grammar & Syntax: the rules of our language
• Pragmatics: using language appropriately and in context e.g. taking turns in conversation
• Intonation: the rising and falling sound patterns of speech and melody that give utterances different meanings e.g. questions vs statements
• Voice: projecting sounds with vocal chords

Children can have difficulties with both language comprehension and/or expression. Many causes may underlie abnormal language and speech development, including hearing problems, physical disability, intellectual disability, medical/neurological conditions and developmental disorders.

Some indicators a child may be experiencing difficulties with comprehension include:

• Your baby does not seem to listen to you or respond
• Distraction or poor attention in story time
• Slowness learning classroom or daily routines
• Echoing other’s speech
• Disinterest in or no response to facial expressions
• Difficulty understanding how to play with their toys or simple games

Some indicators a child may have issues with expression include:

• Difficulty with articulating sounds, speaking muddled sounds or only being able to produce a few sounds
• Difficulty remembering names of objects
• Difficulty using words in the right order/not fluent speech
• Frustration over not being understood
• Difficulty taking turns in conversation, becomes fixated on one topic or gives inappropriate responses in conversation
• Stammering
• A child of 5 years cannot be understood by most people

The diagnosis and of a speech or language disorder requires specialist knowledge such as that of a speech therapist, and it is important to note other developmental disorders (e.g. Autism Spectrum Disorder) are known to affect speech and language in some form, and hearing should always be screened. Keep in mind all children develop at different rates, acquire skills at different times to their peers and some need additional time and support to master certain skills. Mistakes with speech are common throughout development, but being aware of certain signs of disorder allow for early assessment & intervention.

Recommended Toys

ThinkFun Zingo

Orchard Toys Alphabet Lotto

Melissa and Doug Construction Tools Sound Puzzle

References:

Allenby, C. (2015). Supporting children with speech and language difficulties (2nd ed.). Abingdon, Oxon;New York, N.Y;: Routledge.

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