Calgary Herald

Take a hands-on approach when shopping for children

Toys such as blocks, puzzles and boxes will spark imaginatio­n, study concludes

- LINDSEY TANNER

Skip the costly electronic games and flashy digital gizmos. Pediatrici­ans say the best toys for tots are old-fashioned hands-on playthings that young children can enjoy with parents — things such as blocks, puzzles — even throwaway cardboard boxes — that spark imaginatio­n and creativity.

“A cardboard box can be used to draw on, or made into a house,” said Dr. Alan Mendelsohn, co-author of a new report on selecting toys for kids up to about age five.

Many parents feel pressured by ads promoting tablet-based toys and games as educationa­l and brain-stimulatin­g but there’s not much science to back up those claims, Mendelsohn said. Their main misconcept­ion: “The toy that is best is the one that is the most expensive or has the most bells and whistles or is the most technologi­cally sophistica­ted.”

Simpler hands-on toys that parents and young children can play with together are preferable for healthy developmen­t, said Mendelsohn, a pediatrici­an at NYU Langone Health in New York.

The report recently published by the American Academy of Pediatrics cites studies suggesting that heavy use of electronic media may interfere with children’s speech and language developmen­t, replace important playtime with parents and lead to obesity.

Studies also have found that more than 90 per cent of U.S. kids have used mobile devices and most started using them before age one.

The pediatrici­ans’ group recommends no screen time for children up to age two, and says total screen time including TV and computer use should be less than one hour daily for ages two and older.

“A little bit of screen time here and there is unlikely to have much harm if a child otherwise has other activity,” Mendelsohn said. But he added that screen time can overwhelm young children and is difficult to limit and control.

The academy’s website offers suggestion­s on ideal toys for young children, including balls, puzzles, colouring books and card games.

Shopping recently at Dancing Bear Toys in Asheville, N.C., a store that doesn’t sell electronic toys, Leah Graham Stewart said she supports the academy ’s advice.

She said she’s noticed her two young boys tend to misbehave after playing on an iPad she typically reserves for long airplane rides.

“We try to keep it as minimal as possible,” Graham Stewart said. “I just tell them to go outside and play.”

Erika Evers, Dancing Bear’s coowner, said the store’s mission is to give kids an alternativ­e to tech toys.

“Not that video games and electronic toys don’t have their place — in moderation, in our opinion,” she said. “But we feel like kids really need opportunit­ies to socialize and interact with their environmen­t in a way that is hands-on and tangible.”

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