After further research, we are pleased to present to you 10 more Recommended Educational Toys for Children on top of the previous post on Choosing Educational Toys as Gifts. These 10 recommended educational toys are selected specially to help children to develop one or more of the 8 multiple intelligences. Learning will be most effective when parents and other adults take time to sit down with them and facilitate their learning using the educational toys. You will be amazed how quickly the little ones learn as they play with you!
Here are the 8 multiple intelligences:
1) verbal- linguistic,
2) logical-mathematical,
3) spatial,
4) bodily kinesthetic,
5) musical,
6) interpersonal,
7) intrapersonal,
8) naturalist
The above 8 intelligences were identified by Howard Gardner more than ten years ago and his influential theory of multiple intelligences has helped many psychologists and educators change their original paradigm of intelligence. He even challenged them to think of intelligence as having more dimensions than the normally tested linguistic and logical capabilities.
Ok, let us get on to the list!
1) Children’s songs and fingerplay
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Children’s musical abilities can be developed as we introduce to them songs that are catchy and easy to follow. They are able to learn and memorise new vocabulary quickly through songs as well.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Verbal-inlinguistic , musical
2) Stacking Toys
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These stacking toys are able to help children to learn through taking the parts out and trying to stack them up, building and using their tactile sensors. (Tip: Buy larger stacking toys with taller cups which allow older children to stack up higher). We can also use these toys to help them learn about numbers from 1-10, sizes, and also how to identify different colours and prepositional words like “in front”, “behind”, “on”, “off”, “between” “in”, “out”, “on”, under”, “next to”. We can converse with the toddler or young children through asking questions and guiding them to play the toy, e.g. “What colour is this?”. It is possible to try to hide things (like a little toy car) in the cups and ask them “Where is the car?” and get them to find it.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Bodily Kinestic, Logical-mathematical, Verbal-inlinguistic
3) Colourful Wooden Blocks
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These colourful wooden blocks that come in different shapes are sizes are great for children to learn about shapes, colour and size. They can also develop their motor skills, hand-eye coordination and learn to use their creativity as they create different structures. As they build, they would observe that balance is important, otherwise, the blocks will come tumbling down due to gravity!
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Bodily Kinestic, Spatial, Verbal-inlinguistic
4) Shape sorters
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These toys are similarly great to help children learn about shapes and colours. They would like to exercise their logical thinking skills to put the right shapes through the holes with different shapes. It would train them to be patient and to persevere as well if they do not get to the hole with the right shape right away. If they get frustrated, parents or adults should encourage them along the way and motivate them to find the right solution rather than doing it for them!
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Bodily Kinestic, Logical-mathematical, Verbal-inlinguistic
5) Balls
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Balls are absolutely the love of most kids and they are very useful to stimulate a lot of different types of learning even though kids would usually associate balls with play! It is a great way to motivate kids to learn through balls both indoors and outdoors. Children can throw, kick, roll and catch the balls helping them to develop their motor skills and hand/eye coordination. They will learn to interact with other people through playing the balls. We can also help them to practise different vocab or words through throwing the ball to and fro.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Bodily Kinestic, Verbal-inlinguistic, Interpersonal
6) Toy Phones
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Toy phones will help children to pick up social and linguistic skills as they pretend to talk to you or other children. We can create different scenarios to teach them or practise different words with them. Children are great imitators and they learn through mimicking the adults! You can just pretend to talk on the toy phone like normal, saying “Hello”, “Can I speak to your mother?” “Who are you?” They can usually repeat what you say fairly accurately at the age of 2 plus. They might surprise you with absolutely correct answers! At this age, they are truly super learners, absorbing anything that comes their way. :)
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Verbal-inlinguistic, Interpersonal
7) Dolls
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Dolls are a fun way for children to learn about a whole lot of things as they play with them, from body parts, clothings, to verbs like sleep, eat, walk, sit etc. and even different emotions like hungry, tired, happy, sad etc. They can learn to take good care of the doll, building their sense of responsibility. We can also act out different scenarios with the children and also ask more open-ended questions (wh-questions) to get them to speak and stimulate creativity in them. E.g. “What is the baby doing?” or “Why is the baby crying?” or “Where is the milk bottle?”
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Verbal-inlinguistic, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal
8) Farm set
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This farm set can allow children to learn about animals, the sounds they make and also their positions. You can get them to practise speaking and to learn new words through playing the farm set with them and asking them questions along the way, like “Where is the horse?” and guiding them to answer for e.g. “It is in front of the sheep” etc.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Verbal-inlinguistic, Interpersonal
9) Drawing Board
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Children are usually stimulated by visuals and colours. It is good to create opportunities to unleash the children’s potential to draw and to express themselves through drawing.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Spatial
10) Sand/Water Play table
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This sand/water play table is sure to be a great hit with children (and even adults alike!). It will develop their motor skills as they play with the sand and water and also have fun with their friends, building up their social aspects as well.
Suitable for developing the following intelligences:
Verbal-inlinguistic, Interpersonal , Naturalist