Electronic Learning Toys....

[youretooloud]

Am I just being oversensitive... or are there WAY too many electronic learning toys on the market?

I shopped for a kid's birthday the other day, and I couldn't find anything (reasonably priced) that didn't have batteries, noises and was specifically meant to teach a one year old his letters, numbers, spanish... etc.

I'm actually very annoyed by this. What is going to happen if parents have to hunt online for old fashion imagination toys? Why is nothing open ended anymore? All toys seem to have one purpose only, and that's to listen and learn.

Don't get me wrong.. I like video games, and the occasional Leap Frog toy. But, ALL toys seem to be this way.

[SilverSabre25]

You are NOT being oversensitive...I struggle with this ALL the time when buying toys. The "closed-ended" toys you're talking about don't even hold the kids' attention for very long, IME.

It's a disturbing trend that things like simple wooden blocks aren't "educational" enough and that any moment a child spends not actively being taught something is a moment wasted that will keep him from succeeding in school.

I have a hard time getting dcks that aren't infants because everyone wants a full preschool curriculum for their 2 year old.

We have very few toys with batteries...and the ones that have batteries rarely get them replaced! A few exceptions (like the Fisher Price Record Player and a nice cash register) are fine...but not EVERYthing needs a sound effect!

[youretooloud]

A few exceptions (like the Fisher Price Record Player and a nice cash register) are fine...but not EVERYthing needs a sound effect!

I have the old fisher price record player from the 70s, and they love that toy!! I should ebay another one, it's always been a popular one.

[SilverSabre25]

I have the old fisher price record player from the 70s, and they love that toy!! I should ebay another one, it's always been a popular one.

You can find them new at Target. They have a bunch of vintage FP toys.

[Evansmom]

I'm of the same mind as you and allow no electronic toys here in my home. Not one of the kids here miss them at all. I have no idea why there are so many on the market! We surely don't buy them!

At Target, like pp said, you can find some vintage toys. We bought a whole bunch of bristle blocks which my kids love. Also there are nice tin toys like a drum or flute. We recieved one for a gift and they are well loved.

Is it just me or do electronic toys not even hold the kids attention anyway? My in laws gave our son a V-reader for christmas and he doesn't even look twice at it but we can sit and read books for an hour!

Like the old saying goes about kids and toys, "the less the toy does the more the child has to do." Just remember how much fun kids have with cardboard boxes!!

[nannyde]

I don't use the battery toys either.

I don't have ANYTHING to back this up so your mileage may vary but:

I think the electronic toys are a big brick in the wall of attention defecit, conduct, and hyperactivity disorders that we are seeing now. I think that kids are being exposed to SO MUCH blinkity lights, loud sounds, and push button that it's actually changing our "humanity". I think it's changing the human baby brain. I think they are getting system overload from newborn on.

I think they cause behavioral, sleep, and eating disorders in kids. I think they set the baby/toddler brain to requires SO much stimulation that they become addicted to external stimuli to feel "normal".

It's not just that they are noise and loud noise. It's not just that it's lights and bright shreiking lights. It's not just that it's a single touch .. very little effort. It's these COMBINED into nearly everything they have.... see... touch.. hear..

I could go on and on ... none of it being of sound scientific fact... it's just my opinion from what I see with "normal" kids and how those "normal" kids change right before my eyes when they have the option to do lights and sound toys.

I am always trying to de-construct the "total" of my kids. How do they end up being so nice, calm, respectful, sweet..... year after year... group after group? When I start taking apart each brick in the wall... I firmly believe that having them play every day with toys that don't DO anything but what they DO with them.. is a HUGE part of what nets such great kids.

This is an excellent example of what saddens me. The Mom thinks it's so amazing the five month old can stand but LOOK and HEAR what she is allowing the baby to be exposed to. A REALLY loud non stop musical touch toy in front of a wide screen TV that's on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S1kW66-tM

She's a FIVE month old BABY.

[SilverSabre25]

I don't use the battery toys either.

I don't have ANYTHING to back this up so your mileage may vary but:

I think the electronic toys are a big brick in the wall of attention defecit, conduct, and hyperactivity disorders that we are seeing now. I think that kids are being exposed to SO MUCH blinkity lights, loud sounds, and push button that it's actually changing our "humanity". I think it's changing the human baby brain. I think they are getting system overload from newborn on.

I think they cause behavioral, sleep, and eating disorders in kids. I think they set the baby/toddler brain to requires SO much stimulation that they become addicted to external stimuli to feel "normal".

It's not just that they are noise and loud noise. It's not just that it's lights and bright shreiking lights. It's not just that it's a single touch .. very little effort. It's these COMBINED into nearly everything they have.... see... touch.. hear..

I could go on and on ... none of it being of sound scientific fact... it's just my opinion from what I see with "normal" kids and how those "normal" kids change right before my eyes when they have the option to do lights and sound toys.

I am always trying to de-construct the "total" of my kids. How do they end up being so nice, calm, respectful, sweet..... year after year... group after group? When I start taking apart each brick in the wall... I firmly believe that having them play every day with toys that don't DO anything but what they DO with them.. is a HUGE part of what nets such great kids.

This is an excellent example of what saddens me. The Mom thinks it's so amazing the five month old can stand but LOOK and HEAR what she is allowing the baby to be exposed to. A REALLY loud non stop musical touch toy in front of a wide screen TV that's on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-S1kW66-tM

She's a FIVE month old BABY.

Nanny, I think that your assessment of the effect of the electronic toys is spot-on. The AAP recommends NO TV exposure prior to age 2 but happily sanctions all the electronic blinky loud toys...there's a logical disconnect there, IMO. It would be hard, if not impossible, to get a GOOD study to back this up, but I think that you are 100% right. I do think that all of the "turned-on"ness of today's society--the children in particular--will end up having a profound effect on their overall social, emotional, intellectual, physical, and cognitive development.

[kidkair]

I agree as well which is the main reason I don't allow any battery operated toys in my daycare. I try to keep things simple so that the children are not overwhelmed by any thing in their environment and can actually develop social skills with their playmates. I think even many non-electronic environments are becoming to chaotic. I saw a picture of a playroom that had brightly colored walls, a contrasting bookcase, animal cloth bins in the bookcase, bookcase was stuffed with different toys, there was a pile of toys to one side of the bookcase, an assortment of larger toys to the other side, the floor was covered with a couple alphabet foam puzzles, and there was a basket of laundry in the corner too. My brain went nuts just looking at the picture. I think I would have gone nuts at that house very quickly. My first thought was: I wonder if her boys have or will later have the diagnosis of ADHD because school rooms were not as chaotic as her toy room.

[Crystal]

I agree with all of the above. I don't have ONE battery operated toy in my program.......and the kids happily engage is self-directed, imaginative play.

[Live and Learn]

No blinking, beeping, flashing toys here at all.

I don't even like the new little people barns and such....too many electronics moo sound and monkey sounds....I buy the older non battery ones at resale shops. Let the kids make the noises I say.

I used to have a toy phone that the kids loved but they were OBSESSED ....pushing the buttons over and over and over.....it has "somehow" gone missing!....It was either lose the phone or lose my sanity.

[Meeko]

I bought a little stove that was on sale at Walmart right after Christmas. It was supposed to have a sizzling sound for the hob, a buzzing for the microwave, a ring for the phone etc etc. Guess what? I didn't install the batteries and they are LOVING it anyway. Imagine that!

Then at the local thrift store I found a cute "electric guitar". Thrown away because it "doesn't work" i.e. it doesn't make noise on it's own. My kids have had a blast "playing" it with their imaginations! And it cost me $1 !!