Introduction Do you know the best toys for four year old boys? If your answer is no, then your not alone.
Like many parents, in the past I have gone to my local toy store with some idea of what I am after for my son's birthday, almost certainly after prompting him for ideas only weeks before.
But are these the best toys that are on offer? What factors define how good a toy actually is? When I questioned my son about his choice of birthday toy it became clear that he had been influenced to a large extent the television!! How do you think you could make a better choice for your child?Having read a recent article I now try to buy toys for my son with the following two factors in mind.
Let me explain.
First and foremost I try to ensure any toy I buy has some educational value.
This very important as children are nearly always willing to learn new ideas and there can be no better way to do this than through play.
A good toy for a 4 year old boy might be a wooden train set for example.
This could then lead to a parent teaching the child more about trains through rides, steam train trips, general conversation and discussion about travel, etc.
, the learning possibilities are endless.
Once you have got your child hooked on a particular topic you are away.
Secondly, I strongly believe toys should also have some kind of family bonding value if at all possible.
We are so much of a computer generation these days that this kind of family social interaction has largely disappeared.
One of the best toys that I have bought my son recently has been a model airplane.
Again, this toy is educational but furthermore it has a second benefit.
Whenever we want to play with it the whole family gets to go on a little outing to the park, which is great for "family bonding".
Even the dog seems to sense where are going as soon as I get the plane out the toy cupboard! Conclusion To make the suggestions above workable, ask your child to suggest several different his best toys that he would like for his birthday/Christmas present.
Then all you need to do is go down the list and choose the ones that you feel are the "best toys for four year old boys" in this case, because they fit the criteria of being educational and inspiring.
If you can find a toy that involves of all of the family, all the better.
Like many parents, in the past I have gone to my local toy store with some idea of what I am after for my son's birthday, almost certainly after prompting him for ideas only weeks before.
But are these the best toys that are on offer? What factors define how good a toy actually is? When I questioned my son about his choice of birthday toy it became clear that he had been influenced to a large extent the television!! How do you think you could make a better choice for your child?Having read a recent article I now try to buy toys for my son with the following two factors in mind.
Let me explain.
First and foremost I try to ensure any toy I buy has some educational value.
This very important as children are nearly always willing to learn new ideas and there can be no better way to do this than through play.
A good toy for a 4 year old boy might be a wooden train set for example.
This could then lead to a parent teaching the child more about trains through rides, steam train trips, general conversation and discussion about travel, etc.
, the learning possibilities are endless.
Once you have got your child hooked on a particular topic you are away.
Secondly, I strongly believe toys should also have some kind of family bonding value if at all possible.
We are so much of a computer generation these days that this kind of family social interaction has largely disappeared.
One of the best toys that I have bought my son recently has been a model airplane.
Again, this toy is educational but furthermore it has a second benefit.
Whenever we want to play with it the whole family gets to go on a little outing to the park, which is great for "family bonding".
Even the dog seems to sense where are going as soon as I get the plane out the toy cupboard! Conclusion To make the suggestions above workable, ask your child to suggest several different his best toys that he would like for his birthday/Christmas present.
Then all you need to do is go down the list and choose the ones that you feel are the "best toys for four year old boys" in this case, because they fit the criteria of being educational and inspiring.
If you can find a toy that involves of all of the family, all the better.
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