Early learning for your kid is one of the things that can help them develop the skills they’ll need later in school.
One of the best ways to introduce learning skills to your little one is through toys. Kids love to play, more so with toys, and it’s easy to get them to do something that can help develop their learning skills when you use both of these.
I’ve had a lot of success with my kids, who always took to educational toys long before they attended pre-school. So, if you want to give your kid a boost before they find themselves in a school environment, you should check out the 5 Playskool educational toys that I’ve selected today.
These are also a great way to keep your child engaged in a kid-friendly piece of electronic that won’t have the side effects of letting them play with your smartphones or iPads. Let’s get right into the list:
5 Playskool Educational Toys for Kids
I’ve put together a list of 5 Playskool educational toys that you should check out today. Playskool is a company that has been making educational toys and games for kids for many decades now.
1. Playskool Flash Cards Value Pack
Finding the right educational materials for your toddler, who just began uttering their first words, can be challenging.
Which is why I’ve picked out the Playskool Flash Cards Value Pack for you if you want your pre-kindergartener to learn some more words. And on top of that, the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors.
Many parents may also think that this is too early to introduce their kids to any kind of learning.
But rest assured that it’s not too early. Actually, the earlier that you introduce your kid to learning, the smarter they’ll be later.
This Playskool Flash Cards Value Pack is suitable for teaching your kid all the basic skills they need for pre-kindergarten.
It includes the alphabet, first words, numbers, and shapes, and colors. All of these are presented in 4 packs of cards, each for one skill.
The flashcards come in a carry case with a handle, which is quite convenient for use by little kids.
Besides being a great tool to expand your toddler’s vocabulary, this pack also improves memorization. With consistent use, your little one will be able to recognize numbers, shapes, colors, and letters.
The first words come illustrated with pictures to make learning easier for little kids. For instance, the word ‘apple’ is accompanied by a picture of the fruit. This further boosts memorization.
Pros
- This pack is suitable to introduce a pre-schooler to simple first words.
- It allows your kid to learn the basic skills that are necessary to build a learning habit.
- This pack will help your kid to become better at memorizing things, which will be helpful when they go to school.
Cons
- The cards are soft, which makes them easy to be destroyed by your little one’s eager hands. This means that if you don’t keep an eye on them each time they’re using the cards, you may end up having to buy a new pack sooner than later.
Who Should Use This Playskool Toy?
This Playskool flashcard value pack is suitable for kids who are at a pre-kindergarten age.
It includes skills that are taught at this stage and which your little one is likely to grasp. Also, the method of presentation is fun and engaging, which is what you should be looking for when trying to get your kid to learn willingly.
If you can keep your young one from tearing the flimsy card, this is something that they can find useful for long.
2. Playskool Flash Cards – 4 Sets
This is another set of Playskool flashcards that can help your little one to learn basic math and language skills.
It, too, includes letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and first words. These are presented in a bright and bold manner, with fun illustrations accompanying them.
Kids are more attracted to bright things, so these flashcards are bound to grab their attention. The bold letters and numbers also make them easier for your little one to identify without struggling.
Besides the four sets of cards for letters, words, numbers, and shapes, and colors, this pack also includes bonus reward stickers. When your kid does well on their learning journey, they’ll get more excited if they get some rewards.
These bonus reward stickers make it easier for you to boost their motivation. The stickers can also boost their confidence as they’re an indication that their learning is going well. They are fun, and your kid will definitely like having the badges of success.
Pros
- This pack comes with bonus reward stickers to help boost your kid’s excitement and to help them build confidence.
- The letters, numbers, shapes, and colors used on the flashcards are bold and bright, which makes them easy for a little kid to identify. This also makes them look all the more fun to young children.
- Exciting illustrations are used on the cards, adding to the enjoyment of learning by your kid.
Cons
- Just like the other cards on the Playskool Flash Cards Value Pack, these too are easy to tear. You may want to keep an eye on your little one when they’ve got one in hand.
- While this set is meant to teach some first words, some of the words available on the cards are not suitable for this level. This could provide an untimely challenge to your kid, so it might be a good idea to exclude them during your learning sessions.
Who Should Use This Playskool Toy?
This set can be suitable for kids who are just beginning to learn basic skills and also for older ones in kindergarten.
As I’ve already mentioned, some of the words may not be beginner-friendly. But they can be useful when your toddler gets older, or you can use them with older siblings.
3. Playskool Alphie
Away from the flashcards, Playskool Alphie presents an entirely different learning experience for your little one.
Alphie is an educational play toy that has been a part of many childhood memories over the decades. Introduced in 1978, this robot allows for input through some buttons and interchangeable cards.
This toy is like a digital friend for your child. Alphie interacts with your kid, asking fun questions, and giving challenges for them to solve. There are more than 350 quizzes that the robot can present, and this is a lot of learning for a little one.
The robot works with booster cards that you can insert into its chest panel. When you buy the robot, you’ll get 30 of these cards. You can also get them separately.
During learning, Alphie prompts your little one to ‘talk about’ a thing, for instance, letters, shapes, or numbers. For instance, he might ask them to choose a card with an animal.
Your kid should respond by inserting the corresponding card into the chest panel. If they get it right, Alphie has some congratulatory phrases to encourage them. This boosts engagement and makes it more exciting for little kids.
This robot is easy to use with large light-up buttons. There’s also a small screen that displays letters or numbers on the inserted card.
Pros
- This is an interactive educational toy that can engage your kid for long periods. Alphie asks the questions which your child should respond to. This can make your child feel as if they have a playmate who they’re role-playing with.
- Comes with 30 booster cards that allow for more than 350 questions. These provide a lot of opportunities for your little one to learn letters, words, numbers, shapes, and colors.
- This toy can help improve your child’s listening skills. This is because they have to pay attention to what Alphie says when inserting cards and before pressing buttons.
Cons
- The booster cards may bend, which makes them unusable on the robot. If this happens, you can get separate replacement cards.
Who Should Use This Playskool Toy?
Alphie is suitable for kids above the age of 3. This is a toy that can entrance both pre-schoolers and kindergarteners, so it’s going to be of use for several years.
4. Playskool Sesame Street Smartphone
If your little one can’t stop reaching for and chewing on your smartphone, maybe it’s time you got them one of their own.
Not an iPhone, of course.
The Playskool Sesame Street Smartphone is a great option to keep your toddler away from your electronics while introducing them to basic learning skills.
Some of the features on this kid-friendly smartphone are fun lights, ringtone, phrases, app buttons, and familiar animation characters.
Your little one gets to make phone calls with Abby Cadabby, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Ernie. These characters can initiate the call, or your kid can press a button to call one of them.
Each of these characters has a different thing to say, so there are no unnecessary repetitions.
If your little one doesn’t answer the call, it goes to voicemail. With such features, your toddler may feel as if they have a real smartphone of their own.
Other than playing with the characters, your kid can also explore the app buttons available on the toy. These apps introduce them to letters, weather, numbers, music, and other exciting learning opportunities.
Your little one has access to more than 100 silly phrases and sound effects that are guaranteed to keep them engaged and entertained.
This toy smartphone is made using high-quality materials that are durable and safe for your kid.
Pros
- Includes engaging Sesame Street characters that kids are familiar with, and therefore fosters excitement for learning.
- Features fun lights and buttons that grab a little one’s attention.
- Made using safe materials that can withstand all the chewing the toy is bound to be subjected to by toddlers.
- Includes the alphabet song.
Cons
- The volume on the smartphone is very low, which may not be convenient for little kids who can’t hold it to their ear.
- Only counts numbers up to 10, so its use is limited to learning beginners.
Who Should Use This Playskool Toy?
This toy is recommended for kids who are 18 months or older. If your child always wants to take your devices from you, I think that’s a great time to get them this toy smartphone.
It’s enough to distract toddlers, and soon they’ll forget about your iPhone or iPad.
5. Playskool Alphie Booster Pack
Last on my list is the Playskool Alphie Booster Pack. These are the cards that are used on the Alphie robot.
As I already mentioned, when reviewing the educational robot, you can buy the booster cards separately. This is the pack that I was talking about.
This pack allows you to replace any ruined cards. It also makes it easy to expand the scope of what your kid is learning.
There are 25 double-sided cards in each pack, with a total of more than 300 questions. This provides for a lot of learning activities, ranging from spelling to counting.
They also provide an exciting way to learn the alphabet. If your little one gets used to the cards that they have, you can buy another pack to keep them engaged.
These separate packs also make it easy to buy cards that teach more advanced skills as your kid improves in their learning.
Pros
- The cards are double-sided, which allows for a lot of questions when playing with the Alphie robot.
- Includes music and sounds.
Cons
- Cards can be easily bent during insertion.
Who Should Use This Playskool Toy?
These cards are meant for use on the Alphie robot, so they’re suitable for kids who are 3 years and above.
Benefits of Using Educational Toys
Using educational toys to introduce learning skills to your kid has a lot of benefits. Here are some of them:
It Utilizes Play
Educational toys use play, something that kids are interested in. When you can combine play and learning, it makes it easier to teach them the skills they need.
Such play-centered learning is different from a school environment, so kids will not feel pressured or get bored. With educational toys, kids get to learn on their own terms, and this is a good thing when you’re introducing them to math, languages, and other skills.
Boosts Imagination
The various activities that your little one can take part in using their educational toys pave the way for creativity. This boosts imagination, something that can come in handy at school and also in everyday life situations.
Enhances Senses
Most educational toys encourage your kid to use multiple senses in order to solve quizzes, play games, or unravel puzzles.
Along the way, they may become better listeners, be able to easily identify things by sight, and also develop their speaking skills.
Develops Problem Solving Skills
When kids use toys such as Alphie the robot, they’re challenged to provide answers to various challenges. This prompts them to do some thinking before giving a solution, especially when they know they’ll get some praises if they do it right.
This provides a good basis for problem-solving skills. As they grow older and are exposed to more advanced learning skills, they’ll be more at ease and eagerly take part in challenges.
Fosters Concentration
Good educational toys can grab and keep your kid’s attention. Usually, this is something that’s hard to do with toddlers.
But when they’re presented with bright colors, fun sounds, and fun-looking illustrations, they may just stay focused on one thing for an extended period.
This will make them better prepared for school when they have to pay attention to their teacher for periods of time.
More Learning
You can also use a reading program designed for very young children after you’ve gotten them used to learning through educational toys.
Children Learning Reading is one such program that you can use to develop your child’s learning. It’s suitable for kids who are just learning their first words and also for those who are struggling with reading at school.
This is a program that fosters phonemic awareness, allowing your kid to develop reading skills based on more than memorization. With this program, you can get your kid reading fluently at a very young age.
Together with the educational toys, these resources will also help your kid to build confidence that’ll allow them to explore their potential as learners.
Conclusion
If you’ve not tried educational toys for kids yet, it’s time you did. Playskool is a good brand to buy from since they’ve been around for so long and served countless generations.
When purchasing a toy for your child, keep factors such as their age and learning ability in mind. This is what will make sure that you buy a toy that can keep them engaged and entertained while teaching them what they need to learn.
Note that for some of these toys, you may have to provide guidance for your little one to use them effectively.
