#educational-toys

#educational-toys

The conveyors whir in the massive warehouse, boxes gliding at fast clip, filling up with toys ready to be shipped out for holiday gifts across the country. They make their way to shipping trucks, nearly full with hundreds of boxes by the afternoon of a recent Thursday. The 364,000 sq ft warehouse in the suburbs outside Chicago is just one of Learning Resources' investments in the US.

1. A gravity-based marble run game to enhance critical thinking and have your child constantly challenging themselves by undertaking harder and harder levels. Great for developing logical reasoning, spatial reasoning, and planning skills, this game will have the whole family joining in on the fun and working together to get through all 60 challenges. Promising review: "Bought it for my 6-year-old nephew, and he loved it! The game is set up so that my nephew could figure it out intuitively with minimal guidance. It introduces children to fundamental concepts of physics and problem-solving mechanics in a very natural way." - Seoung Kim Get it from Amazon for $24.72.

1. An interactive Stitch because Ohana means family, and this little guy wants to be added to theirs. If their love for Lilo and Stitch knows no bounds, they'll enjoy having their very own Experiment 626 that has more than 100 sounds and interactions, including dancing and singing. He has a big personality and can even throw a tantrum! 2. A Care Bear dressed up as Glinda, Elphaba, or another Wicked character. If your little one is a fan of the movie, they'll probably thank you a million times for gifting them one of these cuties.

Before I had kids, I was skeptical of kid-specific products. Why would kids need a special bowl or spoon when adults already have small versions of those things, I wondered. Why would kids need plastic, character-driven versions of a household item, like a broom - couldn't we just teach them to use the normal kind? But then, of course, I had kids and I understood. By creating kid-friendly versions of household items, we reach kids on their level.

Mike Wood was an innovative leader whose passion to find a new way to help his child learn led to something remarkable.