As a pre-school teacher of eight years I found that the best toys for scaffolding creativity and cognitive
skills are open-ended. Unlike a board game or even a puzzle, an open-ended toy has no set way for
a child to play with it. Instead it gives children the ability to think outside-the-box. Open-ended toys
enable children to feel free to do what comes naturally – be creative. {Product provided for review/feature consideration}
London displaying her building skills! |
In past years when I setup my classroom I found myself trying to find materials that promoted creativity, fine motor skills, and cognitive development. It was hard to find toys that were open-ended in the toy store. I was confronted by toys that limited the children in their innate creative nature. Toys like action figures and dolls are fun, but they can stifle that creativity. Sometimes it is just of matter of introducing an open-ended toy to the array of other puzzles and materials you have in your house or classroom. It is amazing what will happen with that action figure when it is paired up with a set of building blocks.
The possibilities are almost endless with this open-ended toy! |
Arrazzles: Imagine-Build-Connect-Play made by Funnybone Toys, is a great open-ended tool for kids of all ages. The pieces are made out of a lamented cardboard and can interconnect with each other
to create anything you or your child can imagine. Even if little ones have a hard time interconnecting
the pieces they can use the sphere like dodecagons to scaffold other math skills such as color sorting,
counting, and one-to-one correspondence. Eventually, they will master this fine-motor skill and Arrazzles are a good tool to practice with!
Therefore, toys like those produced by this Denver based company are not only fun, but educational. So, next time your little one asks for an action figure or doll show them how much fun an open-ended toy, like Arrazzles, can be.
Remember, knowledge is power...
Denise has quickly become one of my favorite people in the world and I am honored to have her contributing to Mama Fashionista! If you have any parenting or education questions, or just want to chat, follow her on Twitter: @mamaprofesora and Facebook: Mama Profesora . Stay tuned for more insightful and helpful information from this lovely lady!
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