good educational toys for a 2-3 year old?

[NewJeffCT]

Anybody know of some good educational toys for my daughter? She'll be almost 2 by Christmas. But, I just wanted an idea of some good educational toys for her over the next year or so.

Thanks

[JimmyJazz]

1. My kids love the leap pad toys. They make them for her

age group now. But, really the best educational toys for any child of any age are books and puzzles - no batteries, no fuss - books and puzzles...

[lapfog_1]

3. I whole collection of books with movable pictures and

such. Not many words. Get a collection or YOU will go nuts
reading the same one over and over (never mind, you'll go nuts
anyway). Start a reading ritual with your child.

[gollygee]

2. I have a 2-1/2 year old daughter

All play that is interactive and open-ended (that requires the child's imagination) is educational. I like little kitchens and tea sets, blocks, puzzles, wooden trains, puppets, dolls and doll houses, etc.

We got a cute little kitchen set for like $50 for her 2nd birthday that takes up almost no space - my daughter uses it every single day. Kitchen sets are supposed to be great for helping kids' imagination - so great for educational value.

[Nay]

4. If you have a yard, get her a sandbox and toys to use in it --

little pie pans (mud pies), dumptruck, pail and shovel, plastic molds, cups, etc. My son played with this stuff all day long.

[NewJeffCT]

8. well, maybe after the winter

We've got a decent sized lot, but we just got our first snow Friday night. Early this year, but I'm sure it precludes sanboxes until April of '05.

[givemebackmycountry]

5. It's a Mainway quality toy

The Mainway "Big bag O' glass" guaranteed to amuse kids for hours and hours.

The Irwin Mainway company produces many quality toys for toddlers including... Pretty Peggy Ear-Piercing Set, Mr. Skin-Grafter, General Tron's Secret Police Confession Kit, and Doggie Dentist.
And of course Johnny Switchblade.

If your kid likes the "Big bag O' Glass" try their other fine "Big Bag" products like: Bag O' Nails, Bag O' Bugs, Bag O' Vipers, Bag O' Sulfuric Acid. They're decent toys, you know what I mean?

I'm really glad I could help the little tyke.

You should also check out "Chainsaw Teddy bear" it's fun and the little toddler can saw logs and furniture and stuff.

Irwin Mainway of Mainway Toys and Novelties thanks you for your support.

[NamVetsWeeLass]

6. yeah My 2 year old loves leap pad toys. n/t

[NewJeffCT]

9. thanks

I appreciate the input.

[MotownLew]

7. Wood Blocks, Leap Pad, Reader Rabbit Software! n/t

[bbernardini]

10. Music Blocks (by Neurosmith)!

Here's one link with a pretty good description:

http://www.mybabyshops.com/mozmusblocby.html

Basically, you have five blocks of different colors, with each side sporting a different symbol (star, circle, etc.). When a block is placed on the main unit and pressed, it plays a sampled phrase of 1 or 2 measures. Each side of the block is a different sample, so you get 30 different possibilities with each sound cartridge. (Also, you can press a button to play the samples in order as a "composition".) There's a wide variety of cartridges for it, including Mozart, opera, jazz, latin, "world music", Irish jigs, surf rock, and others.

It's a fascinating toy on many different levels. Good for color identification, symbol identification, and music education. I use one at work with pre-K through 8th grade, and they're all equally enthused about it.

[tjdee]

12. Have this, love it...

I play with it sometimes myself.

Sigh.

[yellowdogintexas]

11. some big cardboard boxes..

seriously.

My husband built our daughter a castle out of large cardboard boxes, and she played in it all the time.

Also, they love pots and pans, tupperware, blocks, shape sorters of all kinds.

of course books!

but you would be amazed at how creative a kid gets with an old box of safe junk and

[LeftyMom]

13. Wooden trains

like Brio, Thomas, are real neat but most kids don't get into them until closer to three.

My son got a LeapPad from his Grandmother for Christmas when he was 2 1/2. Went over like a lead balloon, so we took it back. My son definitely prefers stuff he can move around and play with to toys that require sitting down and concentrating. Kids do enough of that when thy're older, I din't think it's really developmentally apropriate to encourage that in a two year old.

Toy food is cool, especially the wooden kind that velcros together so the kid can "cut" it apart with a toy knife. Kids that age start doing a lot of imitative play so small cooking stuff, dishes, bags to pack, etc is all likely to be a hit. A box of hats, scarves, jackets, shits and ties will entertain a toddler for ages, whether crazy wierd stuff from the thrift store or just stuff that's laying around the house. Dolls to "parent" are a great toy for either sex. Plastic animals are another cool toy, they can fight, chase parents, be sorted by size or color, counted, displayed in little habitats...

If you din't have any musical toys like xylophones or drums now is a good age to pick them up. Just plan a good place to stash them when you have a headache.

Hand puppets. Fancy mail order ones, or simple ones made out of felt or socks, little kids usually love them. Making faces with fine movements of the hand is good for fine motor control and paying attention to body language to immitate it through puppetry is healthy, too.