Educational toys. The sound of that is enough to make any child cringe and run into a corner. Learning and playing are two separate components that no child would ever want to combine. What fun is a toy if it is going to make you learn something, right?
Na-ah
Many parents beg to differ. The 21st century parent is all about improving his/ her child’s ‘smarts’ with ‘smart’ toys. Parents no longer consider brands as the utmost important factor when choosing a toy. Rather its features are what they are interested in. Curiosity, discovery and creativity are the three areas that parents look to improve in a child’s development.
A walk down Orchard Road for your intended purchase of an educational toy will leave you not only with a-close-to-empty bag but also with a grinning Junior by your side. There are stores around town selling such items but not in extreme quantities. Perhaps just a couple or so layered between shelves and shelves of toys that cater more to current trends than worthy learning.
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However, theAsianparent was able to unearth one shop that sold not only good quality educational toys but also books and materials to help parents teach their children in a fun way.
Kydz LLP
Situated at Bukit Merah, Kydz LLP sells, toys for children, schooling materials, such as mathematics and phonics materials, books for children and parents and products that would twitch the educational sensor in a child.
Owners, husband-wife team, Gary and Carrie Seow take their responsibility of choosing toys from the catalogue very seriously.
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Family-run business
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Using their two children as personal testers, the Seows place quality over quantity. With a Masters in Early Childhood, Mrs Seow understands the development stages of a child and the types of products that can assist in those stages. For the customers, mostly parents and school teachers, rather than considering cost as a factor, they are more interested in the features.
The store also caters to people who are eager to learn about children with special needs. Books talking about special needs such as autism and dyslexia are in abundance in the shop. There are also products that enable special needs children to have fun with and tap the interest button within them. Books on musical knowledge for children are also sold. The books are available in Mandarin and English. Schools, childcare centres and preschools work with Kydz LLP for the supply of books and materials.
Learning through play – is it really necessary?
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KYDZ LLP
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“Learning through play is extremely hands on and it challenges and provides meaningful play for a child. Language, beauty, knowledge and relating to things around him/her are the results of such play” explains Mrs Seow. She uses an example of an eggplant to further illustrate this. The colour of the eggplant, the pronunciation of it and the feel of it, are just some of the things a child learns with just a simple purple eggplant.
How do I choose a ‘smart’ toy?
Here’s a checklist that you can consider the next time you choose a toy. According to Mrs Seow, the following six questions are the topmost questions that parents should consider when purchasing an educational toy.
* Is it safe?
* Is it age appropriate?
* Does it engage the child?
* Does it expand the child?
* Does it add to the toy box?
* Most importantly, is it fun?
Mrs Seow usually advises and never pushes any product onto her customers. “They have to be comfortable with the product they are purchasing,” understands Mrs Seow. Kydz LLP not only delivers the products but also provides an ‘educational’ lesson for the parent on how to use the toy. Parents or teachers can make an appointment and come down for a lesson if any product puzzles them.
So with stores like Kydz LLP ready to jump aboard and assist any parent or caregiver on toys and products, choosing an educational toy for Junior almost seems like a walk in the park now doesn’t it?
You can catch Kydz LLP on 22nd August from 8-5.30pm at Suntec Convention Centre, Ballroom 2 &3.Visit their website at www.kydzedu.com for more details.