VTech Canada | Jeux et Jouets Educatifs pour enfants, console de jeu educative, jouets d'eveil

Holidays are extra joyful with young children in the house. Nothing beats the excitement of a little one unwrapping a colorful package and finding a bright new toy inside. But holiday gift buying does put extra pressure on parents. Sure, we want to please our kids, but we also want to find toys that are good for them—that are educational as well as a lot of fun. Here are some good choices from VTech that fill the bill for children from birth to age six:

For the youngest babies (0-9 months), pick toys they can grasp and mouth easily, like the Twinkle & Learn Tambourine™, which makes real tambourine sounds, teaches numbers, and plays songs with the press of its large colorful buttons. For bedtime, a good choice is the plush Soothing Starlight Hippo™ that projects a starry night sky onto the ceiling and also plays calming music and comforting songs to help soothe your baby to sleep.

As babies get older, they learn to sit and crawl and can benefit from toys that exercise fine motor skills. Look for items that stimulate movement, like the Lil' Critters Roll & Discover Ball™, that has a motion-sensor that plays music and a bright star-shaped button that introduces numbers and animals. Another great choice for babies 6 months or older is the Drop & Go Dump Truck™ that can be pushed or pulled and counts aloud as your little one drops rocks into truck bed. Both toys will be fun and educational for girls and boys alike.

Around 12 months of age, your baby will be standing and walking and ready for more active fun. Scooting toys are great for this age, such as VTech’s 2-in-1 Learn & Zoom Motorbike™ that converts from tricycle to a two-wheeler and comes packed with lights, buttons and gears that build fine motor skills and introduce shapes, colors and road safety concepts.

Toddlers from 12 to 36 months will grow with another versatile toy, the Sit-to-Stand Ultimate Alphabet Train™. Little ones can push it, pull it, ride the train, and build with the big collection of alphabet blocks that store in the train’s wagon. With a dazzling array of interactive buttons, knobs, storybook, clock, and other gauges, this toy will provide years of fun and learning for your young child.

After age 3, your child may be ready for some more serious learning. VTech’s Touch & Learn Activity Desk™ merges a desk, easel and chalkboard into one fun, interactive center. This all-purpose toy teaches kids about farm animals, ocean creatures, maps, and time concepts and includes an LED screen that guides them as they practice writing letters and numbers. Your child can gain even more fine motor practice with VTech’s Write & Learn Creative Center™, which has animated demonstrations to help preschoolers follow proper strokes while penning uppercase and lowercase letters. Drawing activities similarly allow your child to progress from simple lines to creating 26 different objects.

Ready or not, the holidays are right around the corner, but the good news is that parents can get double duty out of their gifts for young children—lots of fun and learning too!