Who doesn’t love action figures? For as long as they have been around, they have been the delight of children everywhere. That’s right, not just boys, but children in general, as there’s no reason why girls can’t enjoy playing with action figures, too. Sure, action figures are fun for kids to play with, but are there actually any educational benefits to purchasing them for your children? Actually, there are!
Benefit 1: Imagination
Firstly, action figures are great tools for children to use their imagination as they create scenarios for their action figures to take part in. It helps them vocalize their imaginative thoughts, and this helps them develop their speech as well.
Secondly, action figures help kids learn the difference between good and bad, as they usually imagine up scenarios where one action figure is the hero while the other is a villain. Using action figures, parents can teach their kids the difference between good and bad values or actions. This can help them in social scenarios as they grow older.
Benefit 2: Learning Additional Skills
Action figures are a good way to teach kids other things as well. For example, you can teach kids how to count by using the action figures as objects to count. Teaching basic addition and subtraction is possible using the same concept.
You can also teach kids to identify colors and features using action figures as well, for example, by asking kids to pick out all the action heroes in green from a lineup of different action figures, or asking them to select all the superheroes that wear masks on their faces. There are many ways in which you can incorporate action figures into learning; you just have to use a little bit of imagination.
Benefit 3: Collecting
Lastly, action figures are great collector’s items, so that’s a benefit on its own. Action figures are quite durable, so it’s possible that years down the line your child will still treasure his or her action figure collection, and he or she may even become a serious collector.
It’s clear to see that there are many benefits to buying action figures for your kids. Pretty much all playtime is also learning time for kids; it’s amazing how much they learn from imagining their toys in different scenarios. Let your kids choose action figures based on popular characters they like to help them get the most out of them.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Saturday, July 6, 2013
The Pros And Cons Of Letting Your Kids Play With Video Games
Almost all children love to play video games and most parents wonder if there is any harm in it. Here you can learn the pros and cons of letting your kids play with video games.
The Pros
Playing video games does not mean that children have to play alone. Multiplayer games let kids interact with each other and give parents the chance to do something with their children that they will both enjoy. Kids learn to work as a team and still develop social skills by spending time with others while playing.
All kids need outdoor time, but on rainy days or during inclement weather, video games are a good way to pass the time while still developing hand eye coordination and simple motor skills. If the games have motion sensors, like Xbox Kinect and Wii, kids can still get in a little exercise. While video games are a good supplement to exercise, it should not be their main source of physical activity.
Many hand held video games and video games in general, offer educational games as well. The Nintendo DS has games to help kids learn another language, practice math facts and even learn to read. To get the most out of game play time, look for games that are fun but also help your child learn something.
The Cons
Children who spend too much time glued to video games lack social interactions do not develop the personal skills they need. Even though there are games that let your children play along with motion sensor, they only burn less than half the calories that they would playing in “real life.”
Just like adults, children can also suffer from addictions. Video games are a toy and that is how they should be treated, not as a necessity. Parents find video games as an easy option to spending time with their kids or they use them as an electronic babysitter. Each child needs to have a time limit to their video game play or some form of parental control.
Video games and consoles are not cheap, every child wants them but they may not be mature enough to have them. Game systems like Leapster are a little more sturdy than a PS3 or Nintendo DS 3D, but each one is a pretty hefty investment. A kick ball or a jump rope are quite a bit cheaper and quality time with the family does not cost a thing.
The Pros
Playing video games does not mean that children have to play alone. Multiplayer games let kids interact with each other and give parents the chance to do something with their children that they will both enjoy. Kids learn to work as a team and still develop social skills by spending time with others while playing.
All kids need outdoor time, but on rainy days or during inclement weather, video games are a good way to pass the time while still developing hand eye coordination and simple motor skills. If the games have motion sensors, like Xbox Kinect and Wii, kids can still get in a little exercise. While video games are a good supplement to exercise, it should not be their main source of physical activity.
Many hand held video games and video games in general, offer educational games as well. The Nintendo DS has games to help kids learn another language, practice math facts and even learn to read. To get the most out of game play time, look for games that are fun but also help your child learn something.
The Cons
Children who spend too much time glued to video games lack social interactions do not develop the personal skills they need. Even though there are games that let your children play along with motion sensor, they only burn less than half the calories that they would playing in “real life.”
Just like adults, children can also suffer from addictions. Video games are a toy and that is how they should be treated, not as a necessity. Parents find video games as an easy option to spending time with their kids or they use them as an electronic babysitter. Each child needs to have a time limit to their video game play or some form of parental control.
Video games and consoles are not cheap, every child wants them but they may not be mature enough to have them. Game systems like Leapster are a little more sturdy than a PS3 or Nintendo DS 3D, but each one is a pretty hefty investment. A kick ball or a jump rope are quite a bit cheaper and quality time with the family does not cost a thing.
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