toytalkPositive parenting advice: young children aren’t usually too fussy about what toys they are given, but parents should be. Toys are a great deal more than just an object for your child to play with. Of course they should be fun, but they should also be age-appropriate and designed for stimulating a growing mind. Play is vitally important for a variety of aspects of your child’s development, including:

  • Social
  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Emotional

When selecting toys, try to think of them as learning and developmental tools and you might find your decisions change. Toys and games are also an ideal way to engage with your children and build your relationship based on interaction and fun .

Below are a few positive parenting tips to bear in mind when buying toys and games for your child:

  • Don’t simply fall for the latest “hot” or “trendy” toy on the market. Just because everyone thinks it’s the next big thing doesn’t mean it has any educational or developmental value for your child. Think toys through before you buy into the consumerism surrounding toy sales.
  • Limit electronic toys and video/computer games and ensure that your child gets to play with more toys of the real kind. You need to balance their on-screen and off-screen lives to encourage whole-child development.
  • Rather purchase a few good toys at a time than lots of irrelevant ones. Look for toys with multiple lay options that stimulate a variety of skills and can be played with in many different ways. If a child becomes bored with a toy or game, put it away for a few weeks and when you bring it out again they will look at it differently as children are always shifting brain-body space.

Book Nikki for Toy Talk 2015. Tickets are on sale NOW!

Are you looking for professional advice and tips on buying toys for your child’s birthday or even Christmas? Attend Toy Talk 2015 hosted by positive parenting expert, author, toy designer and toy judge, Nikki Bush this year. At this three-hour extravaganza you will learn which toys are trending, which toys are age-appropriate for your child’s development, and what you should avoid. Come and listen, learn, see, touch and feel all that is on offer, and then shop until you drop. Fun. Attend Toy Talk 2015 and make wise buys that you will feel good about and that your child will love.

Tickets for Toy Talk 2015, which takes place in Johannesburg, are on sale from mid-September – book your tickets now or contact Nikki Bush for more information and advice. To download the full invitation with booking details, click here.