Smart Mom’s Toy Box: January 2015

Brain training experts Ken Gibson and Tanya Mitchell have created a listof toys, games, and activities that support healthy cognitive development.“We want to give parents practical tips they can use to make savvybuying decisions,” Gibson explains. “Science continues toprovide insights into how plastic our brains really are, and there’sabsolutely no reason not to use that characteristic to help our kids experiencemore success in school and in life.”

“A parent whose child has Attention Deficit Disorder, for example,can purchase toys that improve attention,” explains Mitchell. “Likewise,a child who struggles with reading can benefit from games that practicesound-blending and segmenting.” Gibson is the founder of nationalbrain training franchise LearningRx, and the coauthor of“Unlock the Einstein Inside: Applying New Brain Science to Wake Upthe Smart in Your Child” with Mitchell.

Things to Keep in Mind

• A smart toy box will stimulate the brain in ways that support core cognitive skills.
• Parents can help their kids get smarter at any age.
• Brain research shows that the brain continues to grow throughout life.
• Children who are already good learners will do even better in school withstronger cognitive skills.
• Parents should take 30 minutes three times per week to focus on developingstrong cognitive skills in their children.
• One way to strengthen cognitive skills is to use fun, game-like activities.
• How important are strong cognitive skills? Research shows that 88% of allreading struggles are the result of a single weak cognitive skill.

Games for Creativity

We’ve got 5 brand-spanking-new games designed to help build finemotor and visual processing skills, as well as to boost creativity!

1.Squigz

Named “Best in Play” by Parenting Magazine, these fun, flexiblelittle suckers come in eight different shapes and stick to each otherand any flat, non-porous surface without leaving a mark. Just break outyour creativity and fine motor skills to make anything your pliable littlemind can dream up. Build a tree, a rocket ship, an octopus. Or, createan enchanted forest where aliens and octopi live peacefully together insuction cup bliss in an abandoned rocket ship. Because in the land ofSquigz, anything is possible as long as you can dream it”…evenland-bound octopi and earth-dwelling aliens. Exercise parts of your brainimportant in fine motor coordination as you manipulate the pieces to createdifferent shapes.

2.Geobrix

We love a good mental challenge with tetromino pieces. The brainy fun isendless as you attempt to make them into a two dimensional puzzle or builda 3D structure. With this 20 piece set, the Geobrix set is no exception.With interesting shapes to make you really scratch your head, Geobrixoffers no better way to work on your critical thinking and spatial reasoningskills. Engage spatial processing and visual centers when you build multidimensional structures in Geobrix.

3.Plexi

A tetromino-style with some serious curves? That’s right! This bodaciouspuzzle will get ya right where it hurts; your frontal cortex. Try to fitall the pieces together just right, or create your own unique designs.There are countless solutions which makes Plexi endlessly re-playable!Boost spatial reasoning and critical thinking with Plexi.

4.Flexi Cube

For you beginners just getting your feet wet with brain teasing puzzles,the Flexi Cube is for you. As a matter of fact, it’s more of a creativefidget toy than an uber difficult puzzle. Try to assemble the unique andintricately designed pieces into a cube. The, use the challenge guideto let the brainy difficulties begin. The more you twist, stretch, bend,and fold, the more you’ll realize you can’t put it down! Andthere’s good news for your brain, too – Flexi Cube will improveyour logic and reasoning and fine motor skills.

5.Joinks

Joinks is an ingenious way to get tykes as young as one year old buildingwhatever their creative heart desires. While other building sets can bea little too demanding on little hands, Joinks gets kids building finemotor skills at an incredibly young age. Little ones can create structuresthat bounce and wiggle with the highly flexible joint pieces and sturdywooden dowels that connect together. The fun and educational value areendless. Players not only work on visual perception and coordination skills,architects of all ages also gain the added benefit of seeing whateverdesign their brain can imagine into a sturdy and ever-so playable, flexiblestructure. Engineers big and small will be surprised by all the thingsthey can do with Joinks! We know we are!