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Building Blocks or Hi-Tech Toys?

by Julie on October 30th, 2007

If you HAD to choose between buying your kids building blocks or hi-tech toys which would you choose? Do you think one is better than the other? Also, do you think that hi-tech toys are hindering our children’s development? So many questions…

I was just reading an article entitled “Building blocks or a high-tech toy – which is best for your child?” and it had some interesting things to say about the difference the type of toy you buy your children can make.

A study in the US has found that playing with coloured blocks may lead to improved language development in young children. This comes in the wake of other research showing that some TV shows and baby DVDs may actually hinder language learning.

The latest study, which involved 175 toddlers aged between 18 months and two-and-a-half, found that children who played with blocks scored 15 per cent higher on language assessment than those who didn’t.

Here’s another interested quote from the article:

Nicol insists that simply taking part in household tasks, being told stories, playing games that involve movement and being out in nature are of much greater developmental value than expensive toys.

“Experiencing learning in a social context and being given time to interact meaningfully is a better start than having expensive objects that don’t relate to the values of childhood,” she said.”

So how do you all feel about this? I know that for my family personally, we try to balance things out. Yes, my kids have the electronic toys and no, they are not educational. They are merely pure entertainment. But we also have learning toys that our kids love like puzzles, games and art projects. We also spend a lot of time with them just learning about life by talking and doing fun things together.

I feel that the line between hi-tech toys being a hindrance has been crossed when we let them take the place of the parents’ attention, focusing on homework, reading books and helping out around the house. I also believe that every baby should have a great set of blocks for stacking. It does teach them so much and besides, it’s so darn fun to watch them learn how to stack a tower for the first time. :)

We did threaten our kids one year with all wooden toys because we were going to have to take out a loan, just to buy all the batteries for their electronic ones!!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. Share away…..

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