Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/what-makes-a-good-toy-developing-teacher-understanding/5009449/
I'm always curious about the language teachers use with regard to the materials they provide for children. Some stay with the general term toys for nearly everything in the room, while others make careful distinctions between what are toys and what are learning materials or curriculum supplies. Similarly, I've heard parents differentiate between toys and educational toys, no doubt influenced by a coupling of their desire for bright children and the cleaver marketing strategies of toy manufacturers.These distinctions make me smile. Doesn't every parent have a story of their kid preferring the pans and containers in the kitchen cupboard or the box the gift came in over the expensive, shiny new toy purchased for them? Child care teachers, too, have great accounts of children preferring to play with the masking tape and toilet paper rolls, rather than the costly new puzzles or manipulatives they just saved up to buy. "Should we worry?" they ask me, wanting to make sure the children are really using their time productively and their parents will be satisfied with this definition of curriculum.
Worthwhile toys offer extended possibilities for discovery and complex play. This is the source for learning and sustenance. ...