Child’s Play: Toys and Games for Learning Goals

Preschool Learning Environments Lesson 4 Apply Child’s Play: Toys and Games for Learning Goals Guide	WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG ACTIVITY ID: 18881 Name Certifier Date
All toys are not created equally. Some toys help children learn valuable social skills and promote learning goals in your classroom. This list can help you decide the best types of toys to purchase or create for your classroom. Toys that Encourage Cooperation Simple cooperative board games: “Max: A Cooperative Game” (Family Pastimes) “The Secret Door” (Family Pastimes) “Hoot Owl Hoot!” (Peaceable Kingdom) “Count Your Chickens” (Peaceable Kingdom) Simple cooperative movement games: Cooperative musical chairs: Play like traditional musical chairs, except each child must find a place to sit when the music stops. Encourage children to share seats, sit on laps, and get creative about helping their friends find a place to sit. When the music stops, remove a chair and help children think of ways to sit. Wagon pull: Encourage children to take turns pulling each other in a wagon. Parachute games: Use small or large parachutes and encourage children to work together to keep a ball bouncing in the middle. Classroom toys: Dominoes Blocks Balance rocker weights Ramps for toy cars Toys that Encourage Imagination Dress-up clothes Simple dolls Art materials (clay, paint, buttons, collage materials) Simple Toys that Encourage Literacy and Language Alphabet magnets, beads, stamps, blocks Puppets Writing materials (stationary, pens, pencils, stamps, envelopes) Flannel board materials for stories Recycled materials from home (phone books, cereal boxes, cook books, instruction manuals) Dry-erase boards Simple Toys that Encourage Math and Problem-Solving Geo-boards with rubber or cloth bands Tangram puzzles Dominoes Timers Scoops and measuring cups Empty boxes and tubes Measuring tapes and rulers Calendars Dice Collections of “stuff” for sorting (buttons, stickers, toy cars, seashells, leaves, food labels) Simple Toys that Encourage Science and Exploration Stethoscope Magnifying glass Mirrors Beakers, tubes, pitchers Light table Magnets Collections of items with different scents and textures Collection of natural items (leaves, tree branches, grass, seeds) Simple Toys that Encourage Social Studies Maps Blueprints Blocks Board games Play money and cash register Mirrors Timers Clothes in a variety of sizes (baby clothes, adult clothes) Uniforms and props for dramatic play

Guide

WWW.VIRTUALLABSCHOOL.ORG

ACTIVITY ID: 18881

Name

Certifier

Date

All toys are not created equally. Some toys help children learn valuable social skills and promote learning goals in your classroom. This list can help you decide the best types of toys to purchase or create for your classroom.

Toys that Encourage Cooperation

Simple cooperative board games:
- “Max: A Cooperative Game” (Family Pastimes)
- “The Secret Door” (Family Pastimes)
- “Hoot Owl Hoot!” (Peaceable Kingdom)
- “Count Your Chickens” (Peaceable Kingdom)
Simple cooperative movement games:
- Cooperative musical chairs: Play like traditional musical chairs, except each child must find a place to sit when the music stops. Encourage children to share seats, sit on laps, and get creative about helping their friends find a place to sit. When the music stops, remove a chair and help children think of ways to sit.
- Wagon pull: Encourage children to take turns pulling each other in a wagon.
- Parachute games: Use small or large parachutes and encourage children to work together to keep a ball bouncing in the middle.
Classroom toys:
- Dominoes
- Blocks
- Balance rocker weights
- Ramps for toy cars

Toys that Encourage Imagination

Dress-up clothes
Simple dolls
Art materials (clay, paint, buttons, collage materials)

Simple Toys that Encourage Literacy and Language

Alphabet magnets, beads, stamps, blocks
Puppets
Writing materials (stationary, pens, pencils, stamps, envelopes)
Flannel board materials for stories
Recycled materials from home (phone books, cereal boxes, cook books, instruction manuals)
Dry-erase boards

Simple Toys that Encourage Math and Problem-Solving

Geo-boards with rubber or cloth bands
Tangram puzzles
Dominoes
Timers
Scoops and measuring cups
Empty boxes and tubes
Measuring tapes and rulers
Calendars
Dice
Collections of “stuff” for sorting (buttons, stickers, toy cars, seashells, leaves, food labels)

Simple Toys that Encourage Science and Exploration

Stethoscope
Magnifying glass
Mirrors
Beakers, tubes, pitchers
Light table
Magnets
Collections of items with different scents and textures
Collection of natural items (leaves, tree branches, grass, seeds)

Simple Toys that Encourage Social Studies

Maps
Blueprints
Blocks
Board games
Play money and cash register
Mirrors
Timers
Clothes in a variety of sizes (baby clothes, adult clothes)
Uniforms and props for dramatic play