A lot of kids are stuck at home with many schools closed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Between class work and entertainment, much of their time is in front of screens. Marissa DiBartolo, editor-in-chief at The Toy Insider, highlights some toys that can help them unplug.
Parents looking to keep kids occupied while stimulating their minds can turn to hands-on toys that incorporate science and technology.
“Activity toys are great for making sure kids are busy and engaged for long periods of time. We don’t want to hear ‘I’m bored’ especially when parents are trying to get work done from home,” DiBartolo said. "It’s really important to have some things on hand that can give kids a real tactile, hands-on learning experience.”
She says K’NEX lets kids construct their own creations. Coding Critters teach children the basics. They use arrows to do simple programing and direct the dog to perform a task.
Learning Friends 100 Words Book teaches kids words in both English and Spanish. And if you want to go old school, the Speak and Spell is still around with the same 80′s design. DiBartolo says this toy helps you teach kids “up to 200 commonly misspelled words."
Latch Hook kept past generations occupied and now those kits are back. Kids can follow the designs to make a mini rug.
PAC-MAN, the arcade classic, has been reborn in board game form.
DiBartolo says, “you’ve got four players playing together as the ghosts and one person playing as PAC-MAN.”
The tabletop game can give the entire family a chance to unplug.
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