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Educational toys

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  • 01-10-2014 2:38pm
    #1
    Nicky987
    Registered Users Posts: 301 ✭✭


    Hi

    Little one is turning two shortly and just want to look at getting a few 'educational' toys. Like the lacing of cotton reels etc.

    Any other suggestions and also best place to purchase?

    Many thanks


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    #2
    SupaDupaFly
    Registered Users Posts: 398 ✭✭SupaDupaFly


    Nicky987 wrote: »
    Hi

    Little one is turning two shortly and just want to look at getting a few 'educational' toys. Like the lacing of cotton reels etc.

    Any other suggestions and also best place to purchase?

    Many thanks

    I'm interested in the same. Anyone any ideas? I saw Tesco has a wooden shoe board to learn to lace. Other than that I'm lost.


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    #3
    galah
    Registered Users Posts: 2,215 ✭✭✭galah


    not sure what exactly you think of as educational, but dealz/pound shop sometimes have nice little things like 'paint your own eggs' (for easter) and stuff like that.

    otherwise play doh is always a favourite (get some sort of arty pack to make shapes etc - early learning center/mothercare have stuff like that).

    but maybe this is more arty than educational (dont wanna sound smart but our toddler practises lacing with daddys shoes :P)


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    #4
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    I found my children preferred 'real things'. Phone, remote control, pots, pans, wooden spoon and banging and battering things.

    Water toys for the bath - empty shampoo bottles - filling them up and spilling or squirting them out.

    I bought wooden puzzles, jigsaws, an abacus lol. Not a bit of them had they interest in!

    Reading to them is very educational!


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    #5
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    Also - the interest in ANYTHING will be zero unless you play along with them.

    Lego for boys. Building things.

    Dolls and tea-sets for girls. They learn fine motor skills that way.

    I'm AWARE of what the above sounds like!


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    #6
    December2012
    Registered Users Posts: 4,695 ✭✭✭December2012


    My daughters love Lego!


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    #7
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    December2012 wrote: »
    My daughters love Lego!

    There's always one.


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    #8
    RentDayBlues
    Registered Users Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭RentDayBlues


    Her name was Lola wrote: »
    Also - the interest in ANYTHING will be zero unless you play along with them.

    Lego for boys. Building things.

    Dolls and tea-sets for girls. They learn fine motor skills that way.

    I'm AWARE of what the above sounds like!

    Why Lego for boys? Are boys not allowed dolls?


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    #9
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    RentDayBlues wrote: »
    Why Lego for boys? Are boys not allowed dolls?

    Jesus no.


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    #10
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    Boys will dissect dolls. Dismantle them, draw on them and kick their heads like footballs.

    I have never ever ever (and I'm an old hawk), seen a boy play nicely with a doll.


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    #11
    RentDayBlues
    Registered Users Posts: 2,131 ✭✭✭RentDayBlues


    Her name was Lola wrote: »
    Boys will dissect dolls. Dismantle them, draw on them and kick their heads like footballs.

    I have never ever ever (and I'm an old hawk), seen a boy play nicely with a doll.

    So do girls! Lego is by far the most popular toy in our house and we have 2 girls!

    Back on post, books really go down well here, and Lego as I said. I got some great wooden puzzles in Lidl during their events.

    Not sure where you're based OP but there's a toy store in Stillorgan called nimble fingers and they have a great selection of wooden toys.

    I read that at age 2 the most important thing for them is role playing: so dress up, emulating their parents and child versions of everyday items, kitchens etc


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    #12
    Her name was Lola
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 94 ✭✭Her name was Lola


    They prefer the real things.

    I used to allow my daughter to 'wash up'. Knives removed lol. Hours of entertainment! Not sure what she learned exactly lol, but I got a bit of peace!


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    #13
    Sweet Rose
    Closed Accounts Posts: 206 ✭✭Sweet Rose


    I think things like stickle bricks, magnetic letters (get the Jolly phonics ones), chalk boards, chunky puzzles, shape sorters, stacking blocks with letters/ numbers etc on them.

    Lots of books too. Bring them to your library.

    Start introducing nursery themes with CDs and have props like fingers puppets and soft toys to go with them.

    Maybe think of introducing a sand pit or water play. Use bubbles too. Introduce painting and arts and crafts.

    When I was teaching there was a shop called Evans who we used to order from. I think they have a shop down near the quays in Dublin. Very reasonable and wide variety of stock.

    I find Amazon, Tesco, Smyths, my local euro shops are good for all these things also.

    Sorry these are just off the top of my head and I'm sure you use a lot of them already.


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    #14
    Moonbeam
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 18,953 Mod ✭✭✭✭Moonbeam


    Plastic bowls ,empty jars ,pasta,sand,water , dolls,Lego ,jigsaws ,musical toys


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    #15
    ceadaoin.
    Registered Users Posts: 8,303 ✭✭✭ceadaoin.


    My daughter also loves Lego. We spent ages today building an airport :)

    We got her a big easel for her second birthday and that's been good too. She can paint or draw on paper on one side and the other side is a chalkboard. Can use that to write the alphabet and go through it with her too.

    Also, building and stacking blocks, books, large piece jigsaws, play kitchen, tea sets, sand box, alphabet magnets. Pretty much all toys are educational at that age


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    #16
    pwurple
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,449 ✭✭✭✭pwurple


    Lego duplo range, all the way. My two girls love it, youngest being 6 months old.. Even if at this stage for her it's just putting things into and out of the boxes. 3 year old builds cities, boats, towers, guns, swords, trucks, trees.

    Wooden train set is very popular here too. You can get add on bits like stations and tunnels, loops, shipyard. Great fun.

    My daughter used her dolls as a football and as target practice for her lego guns. So they get played with alright! :)


    Lego just for boys = very annoying sentiment.


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    #17
    Orion
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,807 ✭✭✭✭Orion


    Her name was Lola wrote: »
    Boys will dissect dolls. Dismantle them, draw on them and kick their heads like footballs.

    That's actually educational in itself. So is drawing on walls etc. It's not destructive in itself - it's exploring creativity.

    Early Learning Centre has a lot of educational toys - http://www.elc.com/. There one shop on Henry St in Dublin. Not sure where others are.


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    #18
    Sligo1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,948 ✭✭✭Sligo1


    Orion wrote: »
    That's actually educational in itself. So is drawing on walls etc. It's not destructive in itself - it's exploring creativity.

    Early Learning Centre has a lot of educational toys - http://www.elc.com/. There one shop on Henry St in Dublin. Not sure where others are.

    ELC are usually near or in Mothercare. So wherever there's a mothercare. The ELCs have loads of great educational toys. But i think all play is pretty education when they're so young.


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    #19
    byhookorbycrook
    Moderators, Education Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 12,498 Mod ✭✭✭✭byhookorbycrook


    www.thinkingtoys.ie

    www.cogs.ie


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    #20
    FunkSoulSista
    Registered Users Posts: 409 ✭✭FunkSoulSista


    Sligo1 wrote: »
    ELC are usually near or in Mothercare. So wherever there's a mothercare. The ELCs have loads of great educational toys. But i think all play is pretty education when they're so young.

    Sale in ELC just started :)


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    #21
    kandr10
    Registered Users Posts: 1,601 ✭✭✭kandr10


    Orion wrote: »
    That's actually educational in itself. So is drawing on walls etc. It's not destructive in itself - it's exploring creativity.

    Early Learning Centre has a lot of educational toys - http://www.elc.com/. There one shop on Henry St in Dublin. Not sure where others are.
    Did that shop not close down?


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    #22
    Mink
    Registered Users Posts: 2,260 ✭✭✭Mink


    I'd have to second one of the posts above about really making sure to play with him when first getting the toy so he can see how to do the basics of it. Then he can build on that from there.

    Also if you find they have lost interest in something, put it away for a few weeks and when you bring it out again they tend to play with it in a new way, more novelty that way and they can learn more.


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