Any suggestions for a good educational toy for a three yr old?

Kate

she has the LeapFrog Scribble and Write..

Answer
Anything made by Leap Frog- I love their products!

Arts and crafts supplies- crayons, fingerpaints, sidewalk chalk, blank paper and coloring sheets

musical instruments- harmonica, tambourine, maracas, cymbals, bells, CDs with lullabies and nursery rhymes and classical music on them.

Puzzles

Board games such as Chutes and Ladders

Card Games such as Memory

Bubbles, balls, balloons

Mega Blocks, Lincoln Logs, Tinker Toys

Slides, Swings, Trampoline, Sandbox (and beach toys), toys to play with in the bathtub or sink (kitchen utensils work well).

Sports equipment- toddler basketball, baseball/softball, etc.

Refrigerator Magnets (alphabet and numerical)

Magnifying Glass, Critter Cage

DVDs- Leap Frog makes some educational DVDs as well

Computer software and/or websites- I have a three year old daughter who likes JumpStart. We also visit BrainQuest, Starfall and other websites.

Wagon

Dress up (stock up after halloween- various wigs, hats, facepaints, shoes, costume jewelry, etc.)

BOOKS! The look and find books are great, Books A Million has a big selection of them (some specifially for toddlers with more durable pages). Barnes & Noble has a great selection of DK Baby books, which are great for infants and toddlers. Traditional storybooks are great. Read to them, ask them questions such as how would that make them feel, what they think will happen next and my 3 year old likes to "retell" the story to me (an early reading skill).

Games such as Simon Says, I Spy, etc.- no toy required.

Instead of buying a toy, try spending that money on an activity instead. A month of Gymboree/Little Gym or gymnastics, dance, etc. Trip and/or membership to the aquarium, zoo, children's museum.

There are free activities, as well. Most libraries and/or book stores have a weekly story time.

What kind of outside toys does your toddler play with?

iceyblue19

As the weather gets warmer I would like to take my son outside, he's 2 years old. I realize I'm going to have to buy some things haha. He already has a sandbox but we do not have sand for it yet. What does your toddler enjoy doing/playing with outside?

Answer
Make sure you get a bunch of fun sand toys to go with the sand box. It keeps my 4 yr old and her friends entertained for hours. Other toys that are popular with all the little ones:

Sidewalk chalk
Bubbles
Pool
Waterslide
Scooter
electric ATV
Tricycle
Bicycle
Any type of sport...basketball, soccer ball, Tball, etc.
Flying kites
Jumprope
Hopscotch
Tent and tunnel sets
Playground equipment (slides, playhouse, etc)
See Saw
Swingset and tire swing
Trampoline

We have them all, and they regularly get used. Needless to say we spend the summer, spring, and fall mostly outdoors

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

My toddler refuses to play games or with his toys, or socialise with other children?

My toddler refuses to play games or with his toys, or socialise with other children?

best toddler sports toys image

At play-group the staff says he sits on his own with his rock (he has a special rock) and doesn't speak to anyone, play with anyone or join in when they do team games or sports.
Why does he do this? Anyone else have this problem?
My other child was too eager to play and would throw tantrums when I was too busy to play but this toddler won't get involved in anything.

Answer
How old is your child? You describe him as a toddler, so I'm assuming he is under the age of 3. Play develops in different ways for different children. Some children begin by watching others rather than interacting. His rock is probably just his security thing and doesn't have much to do with it. It just comforts him and makes him feel safe. Does he play with any toys at home? Does something special interest him? Observe how he reacts when his sibling is playing. Try to be aware of what seems to interest him, and then you join his sibling in play. Hold out the item that seems to interest him and ask him if he would like to hold it. If he does not respond or indicates that he does not want to hold it, don't push. Just tell him it's ok to hold it or play with it when he wants to. I have seen children who seem to take a long time just observing before they begin to play with their peers, sometimes months. They are usually just cautious and are learning through observation. This is usually younger children who behave in this way, but even as they grow they are more cautious than others about trying new things. If you take it slow and try to encourage some play for a few months and don't notice any progress, you might want to discuss it with your child's doctor, but be reassured that your child is learning and absorbing information from what he observes.

What are you getting your toddler for Christmas?

aireeul

I wanted to get my son legos, but I think he'll just throw them around and not really play with them, he's 2. My husband wants to get him tball set. The kind where you put the ball on top of the stand and hit it off with the bat. What do you think? What will you be getting yours?

Answer
I think that he will throw the legos around he probably dont understand to sit still and build them how older kids would.....personal experience lol :) I think the Tball set is a great idea and it will teach your little one how to play the sport and plus that would be a great toy for the father son bonding experience. Just teach him to not hit people with the bat if that becomes an issue. My daughter is going to be 20 months around christmas time and we are getting her some little toys to play with like barbies, doodle pad, books and ect. but for her big gift were getting her some type of big wheel or bike. Something small that she can practice/play on.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is santa bringing you toddler this christmas?

best toddler sports toys image

Momma

My son is 19 mo. old and he is getting an elmo kitchen, big legos, tadoodles (crayons and markers and stamps for tots) cozy coupe, hot wheels ride on car, all in one sports center toy, etc.

What did you get your toddler?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Answer
My soon to be 1 year old is getting

Mega Blocks (100 piece set)
Leap Frog Magnetic Learning Center
Wooden Animal Puzzle
Sippy Cups with Straws (lol stocking stuffer)
Minnesota Twins Toy Box
Learn and Play Puppy
Little Tykes T-Ball set
Fisher Price Car Keys
Winnie the Pooh Story Book
Rubber Duck Shower Spout
A couple outfits

It's my first child's first Chrsitmas and I am spoiling him a little. :)

I find out Thursday what my friends is gettinig him!

What are some inexpensive outdoor toys I can get for my toddler?

mstaffy82

My 2 year old daughter is very active for her age and loves being outside. I want to get her a few things, but don't want to break the bank. So what are some things I could get for under $15 that would keep her busy. She is pretty good with sports and the like. She has a water table, a ball and a trike. She loves them all. She doesn't like swings as she hates to sit and the climbers are just to pricey. Anyone have any other ideas?

Answer
Get a mini golf club set. My 2 year old son has one and he LOVES it. Teach her to hit the ball, or just let her run around with it.

Even one of those little plastic lawn mowers.

You can find all sorts of cheap little plastic toys. Just check wal mart. Or if your Canadian, check Fields.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How is your toddler sons room decorated?

best toddler sports toys image

J&M

I think my sons room is too babyish its time to redo it but I need ideas.

Answer
I believe it's always best to stick with a theme that can grow with them. Things like Elmo, Cars, & Toy Story etc. are nice but are usually just a phase for the child. You don't want to have to redecorate the room each time a love for a new character comes along. With my first boy we stuck with a transportation theme, it was boyish & worked for a baby & will work all the way until he is old enough to decorate his own room. Generic themes like that are great because they're easy to stick with no matter what the age. My second son's room is done in sports. Later on when he likes a certain sport more than the others, it is easily customizable for his favorite sport rather than many sports. Same with transportation. Later on down the line if he likes fire trucks, race cars, jeeps, trains then it's easy to stick with just one theme of transportation. Plus, you can go with any colors you like & still stick with a certain theme.

What is the smallest size figure skate you can buy?

Fuscia

As soon an my daughter can walk I want to begin teaching her how to ice skate. For fun! I was wondering how small do those boots come?
I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but I can't wait to teach her how to skate. Of course it could turn out that she skates like her dad and ends up hating it! Oh no!

Answer
I put all of my kids on ice at 18 months and they all love the sport.
Don't push, don't rush, don't live through your children.

Under 3 years, don't even use skates. Walking and skating are two different activities. Skating requires much more stability and balance than a beginning walker can manage.

Just freeze a puddle in the backyard, slap a helmet, snowpants, jacket and a pair of snowboots without blades on her. Bring some little toys for her to play with and just let her slip and slide.

Watch for double runners on sale now, so you have them. Seems like you can never find them when you want them.

When she gets bored with boots on the puddle, let her wear the double runners and march across the ice puddle.

Check out Play It Again sports for tiny skates or an online auction site for "Babyskates" - they're small-sized skates that the kids outgrow very quickly. You can buy them from their site, but they're expensive, so try to find a used pair beforehand. If you find a pair, have them sharpened, then put vaseline or WD-40 over the edges and store them away until you need them.

As a TREAT, take her to an ice rink for some cocoa and to watch the skaters. A lot of rinks have skating shows and exhibitions at this time, so check out their websites to go see a show.

If she really likes skating and shows interest, take her to a rink with both pairs of skates. GO DURING THE DAY, when it's quiet. The weekend sessions can be overwhelming and even dangerous for a tot. Try the double runners first. STAY ON THE ICE WITH HER at all times.

Expect her to stay on the ice for 20 minutes, maximum, if she's under 7 years old. Don't get frustrated if she doesn't like it or wants to get off.

If you were a skater, or if you've always wanted to skate, adult figure skating is growing by leaps and bounds. Many rinks offer group and private lessons. There are also parent-and-child classes where you and your daughter can learn the basics of skating and having fun on the ice as a family.

Another alternative is to have a short (10 min) private lesson with a professional skating instructor once or twice a week. It effectively gives her some instruction as well as a "bodyguard" who will protect your daughter from danger and teach her the proper techniques of falling and getting up safely.

For kids under 5, many rinks offer a toddler class that's really just for having fun and getting comfortable with ice skating. It's a low-pressure introduction that builds a few skills without being regimented. They play games, use toys, and have fun. That's the most important thing.

Powered by Yahoo! Answers