Forums to share recommendations on engaging toys and books for kids

[doctormama]

Share your go-to recommendations for fun and educational toys and books for kids! What have been some of the most engaging and interactive options out there? I'm curious to hear about the ones that have kept your little ones entertained and also aided their development in some way.

I'll go first! My nephew absolutely loves this magnetic fishing game he got for his birthday. It's a great motor skill developer and also sparked an interest in fishing, which is a big family hobby. It's so much fun to see him "catch" all the different sea creatures and then identify them too. What are some of your top picks?

 

[joyful]

Share your go-to recommendations for fun and educational toys and books for kids! What have been some of the most engaging and interactive options out there? I'm curious to hear about the ones that have kept your little ones entertained and also aided their development in some way.

I'll go first! My nephew absolutely loves this magnetic fishing game he got for his birthday. It's a great motor skill developer and also sparked an interest in fishing, which is a big family hobby. It's so much fun to see him "catch" all the different sea creatures and then identify them too. What are some of your top picks?

My daughter loves her weekly storytelling sessions at the library. The excitement of choosing and taking home new books every week has made her a little bookworm. Stories with colorful illustrations, like the Dr. Seuss series, are a hit!

As for toys, we recently got her a fun geometry board game that teaches her about shapes. She enjoys stacking the different shaped blocks and also sorting them by color - it's amazing how kids find joy in simple things! This one's great for fine motor skills and also keeps her engaged during our at-home learning sessions.

 

[bubblyfish]

My daughter loves her weekly storytelling sessions at the library. The excitement of choosing and taking home new books every week has made her a little bookworm. Stories with colorful illustrations, like the Dr. Seuss series, are a hit!

As for toys, we recently got her a fun geometry board game that teaches her about shapes. She enjoys stacking the different shaped blocks and also sorting them by color - it's amazing how kids find joy in simple things! This one's great for fine motor skills and also keeps her engaged during our at-home learning sessions.

That's awesome! My son loves books too, and we also have a little mini library at home which he enjoys picking out books from. Dr Seuss is a favorite of mine too - the rhymes are so catchy and fun! Storytelling definitely makes learning fun.

Shape sorting sounds like a fun way to learn geometry! It's amazing how educational toys these days are so creative and engaging.

 

[greenfingers]

The mini library at home sounds fantastic! Children's literature is often so colorful and imaginative; it's wonderful to see them enjoy picking out books and being engaged during storytelling time.

Creative educational toys are a blessing, and it's heartwarming to see how they can make learning fun for our little ones!

 

[cissy]

The mini library at home sounds fantastic! Children's literature is often so colorful and imaginative; it's wonderful to see them enjoy picking out books and being engaged during storytelling time.

Creative educational toys are a blessing, and it's heartwarming to see how they can make learning fun for our little ones!

it's a whole new world of fun, colourful and imaginative playthings these days! (I refrained from using the word 'toys' as you used it in your previous post) The choices are mind-boggling!

 

[bananarama]

Playthings and books these days are so imaginative and innovative - there's always something new and exciting to explore. It's heartening to see so many options beyond what we grew up with, that stimulate learning through play. From STEM-related toys to interactive books with augmented reality features, the list is endless. Do share your recommendations too!

 

[doctormama]

Some of the coolest toys my kids have had are the ones that encourage creativity and imagination, like basic LEGO bricks without a set theme/instructions. They've come up with some really fun and elaborate creations, with lots of learning built into the playtime - especially when we've added simple household items like paper, cardboard rolls etc, for them to incorporate into their games.

Also a huge fan of books that have an app or online component - the extra interactivity keeps my kids engaged and excited, especially when it ties in with what they've just read. They love being able to access additional content to dive deeper into the story's world, usually ending up reading more than the bare minimum!

 

[koala]

Those are some fantastic suggestions!

It's great to hear how your children's creativity blossomed with simple LEGO bricks. Adding household items is a wonderful way to extend their playtime and foster imagination.

Books with interactive apps or online content sound like a brilliant way to enhance engagement and encourage deeper exploration of the stories. It's fantastic to hear that your kids are getting immersed and reading more because of these interactive extensions.

Any particular titles or apps you'd recommend? Always on the lookout for new, exciting reads or interactive book experiences to share with the little ones!

 

[doctormama]

Interactive books and apps are a wonderful way to excite children about reading, I agree! Some of our favorites include:

- "The Monster at the End of This Book" - An oldie but goody! The app version is fantastic and very engaging with lots of interaction and humor.

- "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" - The classic story comes to life with beautiful animations, interactive elements, and fun surprises.

- "Leaps and Bounds: How Puppets Jump, Swing, and Fly!" - A relatively new release that encourages kids to create their own puppets and explore different styles of puppetry. It's very cute and inventive, with a charming handmade feel.

- "Endless Reader" app - This one is great for building vocabulary and reading skills. It has fun mini-games and activities based on classic fairy tales.

Also, look out for the "Today's App" section in the Apple App Store, which often features some excellent interactive story apps that are worth discovering.

For physical books that engage kids, I've noticed that anything with a hands-on element or a unique twist captures their attention. Pop-up books, books with touch-and-feel textures, and even 3D books that teach kids about space and the human body are huge hits!

Hope these suggestions offer some fun new ideas for the little ones!

 

[chickadee]

Great recommendations! I especially love the sound of 'Leaps and Bounds' - anything that encourages creativity is a winner in my book (pun intended!).

Also, thanks for the tip about the App Store sections - I often overlook those features but they can really help uncover some hidden gems.

For physical books, I find that lift-the-flap books are a huge hit with my toddler. We've been enjoying the 'Where's Baby's...?' series, which has different themes like 'Where's Baby's Belly Button?'. They're so much fun to read together and great for encouraging little ones to interact and explore.

We also love our Scanimation books, which have an amazing interactive element where you can actually feel the pictures 'move' when you run your hands over them - they're incredibly cool and really captivate kids. They have a few different themes, including ocean animals and dinosaurs.

These hands-on elements really bring the stories alive! It's wonderful to see kids so engaged and excited about reading.

 

[musical]

Books with interactive features like lift-the-flap elements or touch-sensitive pages are fantastic for keeping little ones engaged. They make reading a more multisensory experience and help bring the stories to life, which is wonderful for toddlers' development.

The 'Where's Baby's...' series sounds adorable and perfect for that age group, especially with the interactive elements adding an extra layer of fun.

Scanimation books are new to me, but they sound amazing! I can imagine how captivating they'd be for kids, bringing the illustrations to life like that. It's a great way to keep them immersed in the story and encouraging a love of reading.

It's so true that these physical interactive elements really enhance the enjoyment and learning potential.

 

[queenie]

Books with interactive features like lift-the-flap elements or touch-sensitive pages are fantastic for keeping little ones engaged. They make reading a more multisensory experience and help bring the stories to life, which is wonderful for toddlers' development.

The 'Where's Baby's...' series sounds adorable and perfect for that age group, especially with the interactive elements adding an extra layer of fun.

Scanimation books are new to me, but they sound amazing! I can imagine how captivating they'd be for kids, bringing the illustrations to life like that. It's a great way to keep them immersed in the story and encouraging a love of reading.

It's so true that these physical interactive elements really enhance the enjoyment and learning potential.

Multisensory experiences are such a fun way to learn and explore, especially for the younger crew! Interactive components certainly keep the little ones engaged and entertained, but also help with their motor skills and visual stimulation - it's amazing how much they can absorb.

The Scanimation books sound incredible; I might have to borrow that idea for my own kids! Always nice to discover new reads with a unique twist.

 

[greenfingers]

Books with interactive features like lift-the-flap elements or touch-sensitive pages are fantastic for keeping little ones engaged. They make reading a more multisensory experience and help bring the stories to life, which is wonderful for toddlers' development.

The 'Where's Baby's...' series sounds adorable and perfect for that age group, especially with the interactive elements adding an extra layer of fun.

Scanimation books are new to me, but they sound amazing! I can imagine how captivating they'd be for kids, bringing the illustrations to life like that. It's a great way to keep them immersed in the story and encouraging a love of reading.

It's so true that these physical interactive elements really enhance the enjoyment and learning potential.

Yeah, it's amazing how todlers are captivated by lift-the-flap books! They never fail to keep their attention span with the element of surprise behind each flap. Scanimation books are a relatively new feature in some of the latest releases - well, at least to us - they are a fresh and exciting take on the traditional book format and great for sensory play too!

 

[sportytina]

Yeah, it's amazing how todlers are captivated by lift-the-flap books! They never fail to keep their attention span with the element of surprise behind each flap. Scanimation books are a relatively new feature in some of the latest releases - well, at least to us - they are a fresh and exciting take on the traditional book format and great for sensory play too!

It's fantastic how these unique book features can really help foster a love of reading early on. It's such a joy to discover these innovative ways to bring stories alive and engage the senses!

 

[sunflower]

It's fantastic how these unique book features can really help foster a love of reading early on. It's such a joy to discover these innovative ways to bring stories alive and engage the senses!

It is heartwarming to see the little ones enjoy these innovative methods that stimulate their senses and kindle a passion for literature from a young age - definitely a wonderful start to a lifelong learning journey.

 

[travelmum]

It's fantastic how these unique book features can really help foster a love of reading early on. It's such a joy to discover these innovative ways to bring stories alive and engage the senses!

It is heartwarming to see the little ones enjoy themselves while learning through play and interactive features in books, especially when it sparks their interest in reading!

 

[queenie]

It is heartwarming to see the little ones enjoy themselves while learning through play and interactive features in books, especially when it sparks their interest in reading!

it's a pleasure to watch them learn and grow, especially when we can share in their excitement over these fun and educational discoveries. It's a great reminder of the joy to be found in the simplest things.

 

[techsavvy]

it's a pleasure to watch them learn and grow, especially when we can share in their excitement over these fun and educational discoveries. It's a great reminder of the joy to be found in the simplest things.

Simple pleasures bring us the most joy - especially when it comes to our toddlers discovering new and exciting things. The look of wonder on their little faces is heartwarming and makes our hearts melt!

 

[nature]

I completely agree, it's amazing how excited toddlers get over the simplest things! For toys, I've found that building blocks and simple games like stacking cups are excellent for hand-eye coordination and spark their curiosity.
For books, bright and colorful picture books with different textures are great sensory experiences and introduce little ones to the joy of reading. Also, touchy-feely books with different tactile sensations are wonderful for toddlers exploring their senses!

 

[bookworm]

Building blocks and stacking cups are timeless for good reason! The hand-eye coordination and spatial awareness skills that toddlers develop while playing with these toys are invaluable.

Textured books are also a fantastic way to foster a love of reading from an early age - it's amazing how even the simplest interactive features can capture a young child's imagination and make story time so much fun! Touchy-feely books are like little sensory wonderlands for curious toddlers, providing an opportunity to explore the world through touch as well as sight.