Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Is there any value in electronic toys for babies and toddlers? I see the toy stores are overloaded with them, toys that require a push of a button or have a screen of some sort.
Personally, I think young babies and toddlers need to play with other types of toys that encourage imagination and free play, not just pressing buttons and looking at a screen. They need to be read to by actual people, not an electronic "leap pad" type of app on some screen.
Am I alone in my thinking? All my friends' kids have so many electronic toys, but my young kids have none. Of course when they get older, I see the value in it. But right now it just seems like they need to be doing other things like play dough, flipping through regular books, coloring, dancing, building with blocks, etc. I don't see any value in those electronic toys.
I don't really like them. Whether or not they have any value, they annoy the hell out of me with all the noises! My toddler has had a few electronic toys but I got rid of them a year and a half ago and she hasn't missed them. I'd rather she played with toys that are a bit more open-ended and require her to use her imagination more like blocks, play dough, play kitchen etc.
We had a few electronic toys that my son really loved and that I thought were worthwhile (like the musical play table and piano), but overall he never really was interested in them for very long and I was always looking for things that were not electronic (which were hard to find). Ironically, now that he's older, other than video games, most of his toys are not electronic, or at least they tend not to make so many annoying noises.
I detest them and haven't had any in my house (oldest is 4). I let him watch some digger construction on Youtube channels a few months back and then he stood at the computer yelling and screaming for more (he is autistic and gets fixated obsessions), so that was gone pretty quick!!! I play everything by ear (never say never) but I really wish to avoid that stuff again. Maybe a typical child can have fun with it and know their limits, but not my oldest (and obviously it wouldn't be fair to him if I let his brother do it)
I detest them and haven't had any in my house (oldest is 4). I let him watch some digger construction on Youtube channels a few months back and then he stood at the computeryelling and screaming for more (he is autistic and gets fixated obsessions), so that was gone pretty quick!!! I play everything by ear (never say never) but I really wish to avoid that stuff again. Maybe a typical child can have fun with it and know their limits, but not my oldest (and obviously it wouldn't be fair to him if I let his brother do it)
Excellent thinking. I have observed many autistic children who are obsessed with computers and it is a very hard obsession to break.
We avoided most electronic toys so far for our son (15 months old). We stick to blocks, cups, shape sorters, musical instruments, soft toys, basic cars/trucks -- things that have shape, texture, and color. Kids that age need to learn coordination in three dimensions. I doubt the baby "laptops" or tablets do that.
To my toddler they have zero value.
The one and ONLY one toy she has that is battery powered is a little phone whose keys make a faint beep when she presses them, and OH MAN does she love it.
Otherwise she loves dancing, playing with measuring cups, her stuffed monkey, wood puzzles, and her felt pizza.
Is there any value in electronic toys for babies and toddlers? I see the toy stores are overloaded with them, toys that require a push of a button or have a screen of some sort.
Personally, I think young babies and toddlers need to play with other types of toys that encourage imagination and free play, not just pressing buttons and looking at a screen. They need to be read to by actual people, not an electronic "leap pad" type of app on some screen.
Am I alone in my thinking? All my friends' kids have so many electronic toys, but my young kids have none. Of course when they get older, I see the value in it. But right now it just seems like they need to be doing other things like play dough, flipping through regular books, coloring, dancing, building with blocks, etc. I don't see any value in those electronic toys.
you're far from alone in your thinking. every one has a different approach. my son is into "electronics" but doesn't only use electronics (he's 3 in march). my daughter is 18 months old and could not care less about electronics.
is there value in them? well, sure there is. electronics are here and they will need to use them more and more as they get older. is there value in a young child learning how to use them? Why wouldn't there be? Depending on the child, maybe they could learn programming at a very young age. there are plenty of creative things you can do with electronics. so there's value in that. Personally, i think the key is to not let electronics replace all the other stuff a child does. play-doh, coloring, painting, building. etc.
It's just another tool in the shed, and I think most would agree, it shouldn't be unlimited exposure.
Here ya go. This is about as absurd as it gets. Be sure to read the customer reviews which BTW have become the latest source of comedy all over amazon.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
