Great presents of mind

ALL-SINGING, all-dancing toys have a habit of taking centre stage in the marketing countdown to Christmas, as companies try to convince parents and children that their festivities won’t be quite complete without them.

Many of these bleeping, flashing, technological creations are cute and clever. The only problem, says Irene Gunning, chief executive of Early Childhood Ireland, is “they do all the playing. We just sit back and watch.”

We’ve all heard parents joke about how their child seemed to get more enjoyment out of the box containing a large expensive toy than its contents. And, like most jokes, there is an element of truth there.

The box can become anything the child wants to imagine: a car, a boat, a house, a tunnel. It can be up-ended, painted, have holes cut in it.

“There is no ‘correct’ way of using it; it is about many possibilities,” says Gunning. This is the kind of “open-ended” play material she recommends for small children. The best toys are only a starting point for a child’s natural creativity, not the beginning, middle and end.

A pile of building bricks or a handful of play-dough, for instance, may not look exciting to an adult eye, but they can go wherever a child’s imagination takes them. Children can pose problems for themselves – how can I make this? Or make it do that? – and learn a lot in finding the answers.

Whereas the marketing of flash, expensive toys exploits children, argues Gunning, “a child can imagine an airplane taking off – but in the ad it is doing it all by itself. It is so unfair; it is so exploitative of our young children. What they do is special and magical in their way because their imaginations are amazing and it is good for them to go through all of this.”

She believes toy adverts affect adults, too. “There is such pressure on parents to buy some of these ‘amazing’ toys. You want your child to have his heart’s desire and what other children at school or the neighbours are having.”

More than ever, people want to spend money wisely. So what sort of toys will not only continue to engage a child long after the Christmas tree has been taken down but also play a part in developing skills for life?

Choosing toys that involve some sort of interaction is the rule of thumb for helping a child develop communication skills, according to the Irish Association of Speech and Language Therapists. But while toys are a great way of starting interaction, it is what you do with the toy that is important.

Books are on the top of the association’s wish list for all ages – books that an adult and child enjoy together, from those with big pictures and repetitive phrases for the under-fours to more complex stories and vocabulary for older children.

Then there are “props” for imaginative play, such as a dolls’ house, train set, farm or garage, with which adults can engage by posing questions to the child in charge. (And do remember whose toy it is – over-enthusiastic adults can start to take over.)

We asked three small Irish businesses that specialise in sourcing high-quality educational toys to recommend a few favourites.

First, mimitoys.ie, which Mimi and Myles Doyle set up in 2004, promising “no plastic, no batteries, no guns”. (Plastic has since crept in, because they realised they did not want to exclude such enduring toys as Playmobil, but the rest of that pledge still stands.)

Parents are becoming more interested in child development and want to give their children the best possible start from day one, says French-born Mimi. She is passionate about finding creative and engaging toys that “have to be fun” but also offer stimulating ways to learn.

It is possible to shop by “learning skill” on their website, with a choice of nine categories such as hand-to-eye co-ordination or social skills.

“We avoid heavily branded or advertised toys, and weapon lookalikes are an absolute no-no,” say the Doyles who, as parents of four children ranging from four to 12, have eager toy testers on standby at home in Summerhill, Co Meath.

Next is the not-for-profit enterprise Sensational Kids, which also categorises the toys it sells by the skills they enhance. Established to provide accessible and affordable clinical services to children of all abilities, Sensational Kids has an online shop as well as its walk-in outlet in Kildare town. All profits are ploughed back into subsidising the costs of its services.

Finally, Blithe Spirit was set up in Co Wicklow five years ago after Stuart and Janice Blythman had found it increasingly difficult to find quality toys for their two children. They sell online from their Newtownmountkennedy warehouse, where people who prefer to handle a product before they commit can call in.

UNDER ONE

Baby Photo Album, €14.95:Mimi Doyle recommends this album for babies aged from three months, to help develop their awareness of familiar people, pets or characters. "When my kids were going to the creche from a young age, it was comforting for them to have pictures of mum and dad and our dog!" It has eight large fabric pages including textures, activities and crinkle, plus seven clear photo pockets (to fit 150mm x 100mm prints) and a large mirror on the back page. MT

Musical shapes, €14.95:A set of three musical plastic instruments, each with a different colour, shape and sound. Easy to grip, they make a sound when grabbed or moved, which helps babies "to start to understand cause and effect", says Doyle, "and will encourage them to develop their fine motor skills by wanting to grab the toy out of curiosity". MT

Plush Rainbow Stacker, €22:A set of five soft, multitextured pieces, each of which rattle, jingle, squeak or crinkle, plus a colour-coded stacking post. All the pieces are made of high-quality velour and corduroy for durability, and are machine washable. This toy encourages the development of colour recognition, hand-eye co-ordination, visual perception skills, and fine motor development through play. It also introduces size and spatial relationship concepts. (Age: 9+ months) SK

ONE TO FOUR

Fantacolour Junior peg set, €28:For age two-plus, this is designed for the smallest hands. Initially young children can play with the pegs, count them, sort them by colours and gradually reproduce the pattern on the card. It is good for fine motor skills, observation and patience. MT

First Bead Maze, €13:"Sitting in a high chair is much more fun with this fantastic bead maze," says Karen Leigh, chief executive of Sensational Kids.

It features brightly coloured, multishaped beads that spin and slide along red and yellow wire pathways that are anchored by a strong suction cup base. It helps teach visual tracking, fine motor skills and hand-eye co-ordination, and introduces the concepts of shape and colour recognition as well as problem-solving. SK

Fold Go Dolls' House, €43:A dolls' house is often a key to unlocking the world of your child's imagination. It provides an opportunity for you and your child to engage using pretend play. Not only can it help to develop your child's pretend play skills but it can also promote language development in younger children, both receptive (understanding) and expressive (speaking). SK

Wooden railway, from €13.75: Every child should have a wooden railway and the great thing about them is they can be added to over time, says Stuart Blythman. There is a wide range of accessories including a coal mine, lumber yard and cement works, even a Grand Central Station. Sets start from €13.75 but the Town Country Train Set is a particularly good starter set for €50. (Age 3+) BS

Liosta Siopadóireachta, €12.50:Our daughter's favourite game was Orchard Toys' Shopping List (€8.75), says Blythman, and three years ago they got the game translated into Irish. BS

FIVE TO EIGHT

Cubicle Shed, €99.95: "It took us a while to get a good selection of role-play farms," says Doyle. "I was not looking for fantasy or look alike, I was looking for realistic buildings with real details and features from a real farm. I think this is great for older boys and girls who are interested in farms, animals – and it introduces them to that work environment." MT

Light Fairy, €20:Children can create their own fibre-optic fairy with this kit; interchanging colourful fibre optics supplied. Research has proven that product-centred craft activities can help boost a child's self-esteem. This toy also offers an opportunity to work on developing fine motor and problem-solving skills.

Or – let's be sexist here – boys might prefer a Build Roll Robot (€22), with plastic nuts and bolts and real rolling wheels. It will help to work on fine motor skills, hand-eye co-ordination, manual dexterity and problem-solving skills. SK

Melissa Doug floor puzzle, €10.75:Made of thick card and an "easy clean" surface, these 100-piece floor puzzles, measuring 48 inches long, are bright and colourful and come in three themes: Under The Sea, Safari or Rainforest. BS

NINE TO 12

Smart Games Subway, €24.95: This is a mind game with no loose parts and, as a mum, I like that, says Doyle. There are eight levels of difficulty as children have to untangle the world's train tracks. This is great for older kids who like maths and logical thinking. MT

Flashing Diabolo, €12.50:Amazing stunts can be performed by spinning the plastic diabolo on the string and using the handles to manipulate the movement. Flashing LEDs create beguiling light trails.

It can help with many skill-building areas such as gross motor skills, co-ordination, throwing and catching and visual tracking. SK

Board games, from €27.50:"We have always played board games at Christmas and it's a great way to involve all the family," says Blythman.

Try Taboo (€27.50), Scattergories (€27.50), Pictionary (€30) or go for Cranium Family (€35), which tests a variety of skills. BS

Contacts

MT: Mimitoys, Summerhill, Co Meath; mimitoys.ie; tel 1890 520 025

SK: Sensational Kids, Kildare Business Park; sensationalkids.ie; tel 045520 900

BS: Blithe Spirit, Newtownmountkennedy, Co Wicklow; blithe.ie; tel 01 2011672

THOUGHTFUL TOYS: THE GIFT OF SCIENCE

One way to mark Dublin becoming Europe’s City of Science in 2012 is to give a child a science-themed toy this Christmas – and sow seeds of knowledge in the process.

We asked the Science Gallery in Dublin to nominate some of its favourites:

Under one:It's never too early to introduce children to the greatest biologists, chemists and physicists of recent times. The Great Scientists Finger Puppets – including Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Isaac Newton, and Charles Darwin – will keep small children entertained. €25

One to four: Zoo-ologyby Joëlle Jolivet (€16.50) is a great big book with big pictures, and ideal for reading and learning with your aspiring zoologist.

Five to eight:Inspire your kids to become amateur physicists. Learn aviation and engineering skills in the living room with The Complete Paper Aviator(€12.50) by David Woodroffe, a book filled with cut-outs, drafts and blueprints for some pretty crazy planes.

For aspiring biologists, there is The Original Antquarium Super (€25) – the first and only habitat to be tested in zero gravity. This is a home antquarium that you can prepare yourself, add some ants, and watch the way these incredible creatures establish a home.

Nine to 12: Science Gallery has a lot of hands-on, do-it-yourself science kits but none so complete as the DK Science Kit (€25), which contains more than 100 experiments, or so surprising as Math Magic (€17.50), with which children can astonish friends with magic number tricks.

All are available in the gallery’s gift shop on Pearse Street, Dublin 2, or online from sciencegallery.com