TOY RETAILERS LOVE these first few weeks of the new year. It's a time when children by the thousands pour into shops clutching bundles of crisp banknotes with one mission in mind: spend, spend, spend.
All parents want to see their children putting their lai see money to good use. But if they must spend it on toys, how can you persuade them to choose something educational?
According to experts, it's not as hard as you might think. Toys that people assume wouldn't teach a child anything can actually be educational. Barbie dolls, action figures and toy cars, for instance, can all stimulate the imagination and prompt fantasy play. 'In theory, all toys are educational,' says educational psychologist Lesley Lewis.
'As a parent, you have to guide your children, deciding early on what's important, what you value, and what you want your children to learn,' she says. 'Kids need imaginative play. They can take any object, a classic toy, a cardboard box, or even climb a tree, and get something out of it.'
Lewis says too many children's activities are controlled, and children should be allowed to explore their imagination, which helps build creativity, as well as inner resources and self-esteem. Depending on their surroundings, most children will engage in imaginary play until about the age of 10, and this is something toy manufacturers cater to.
Katrina Walker, owner of toy warehouse Bumps to Babes, agrees. 'One of our popular new toys is the Early Learning Centre's Roman Colosseum, a wooden amphitheatre complete with gladiator figures and a chariot set,' she says. 'It's creative play and a history lesson rolled into one. I bought it for my godson and he took the Roman figures to school for a show and tell. So much emphasis is put on children's education, but we should remember that children also learn through play. It develops their ability to learn and create. It's really important.'