Toys and Games – Reviews and News

Posts on this blog are usually regarding physical toys for children but after reading an interesting story in a well known national newspaper this morning I have decided to change tact slightly. The internet is becoming increasingly popular amongst young school children who enjoy using the medium to play online games via websites like CBeebies and young demographic social networking-meets-gaming website Moshi Monsters.  My own seven year old is even taught using the internet and is regularly set homework that needs to be completed via online means!

But there is growing concerns that the fascination (some might even say “obsession”) with online gaming amongst children is having a negative impact on their ability to learn during school hours. One primary school teacher – 40 year old Richard Gribble – told several newspapers of how after conducting a study he found that 78% of his students (aged 10 and 11) often used their home computers until 4am, so it is not ridiculous to imagine that children just a few years younger than those surveyed are also doing the same. Many children also admitted to waking up extra early in order to browse the internet before school. Children who do this we not get enough hours of sleep and this will greatly impact their levels of concentration at school and therefore, their overall academic performance.

The teacher also worryingly discovered that 64% of the youngsters he asked had also seen image of a sexual nature online.

Alarmed parents shouldn’t take the action of completely banning their children from the home computer or WWW however. Online access for children can most definitely be beneficial to them – we are living in an increasingly technology driven world so learning IT skills from an early age is important and the ‘net can also be an excellent communication tool. It is imperative however to supervise the browsing of younger children and to install parental settings on your PC to protect your kids from content you would really rather they did not see.

And obviously, children should be sent to bed at a reasonable time. Sleep is very important from growing kids!

Gwen Toole is the author of this article. She works as an Easy Offices Soho receptionist by day but enjoys penning guest blogs for various websites whenever she gets a spare moment

In fact, if you decide to get rid of them, toys can be sold anywhere there is alwys a demand for toys. Internet is a powerfull marketplace with whole world connected and 24/7 operation. Selling your old toys is only limited by your imagination.

One of the largest marketplaces on the internet is eBay. EBay allows you to sell anything you desire. It´s a website with millions of listings and a large number of followers with cash to burn. Wanna sell your kids old toys? Check eBay. EBay is the only place to sell if you want the world to bid on your toys. The only negative side of eBay is the listing fee, which is quite cheap though and the fact that some winners of auctions don´t pay for the item they have won. Apart from that, eBay is an essential resource.

Another great way to sell your old toys is to soak up the sun on the weekends and set up a store at the markets. Don´t expect a big audience to sell to and the people that attend these markets are looking for bargains and collectibles. Also it´s a great way to socialize with friendly people and do some networking at the same time.

It´s amazing what people will pay for your old toys. Like the old saying goes, one mans trash is another mans treasure. Have you ever tried selling your toys in the local paper? The local classifieds are cheap and very effective. People are catching on to this creating a viable market place for second hand goods

Have you heard of Craiglist and USFreeads. These two websites are also used to place classifieds and ads. You can place a small ad on these sites and get world wide exposure. These sites are similar to eBay but they offer noi auctions.

Overall there are many ways to sell your old toys. Try to host a store at the local market, for example. Either way you are guaranteed to sell your toys. So what price tag to do you put on your toys? A good indication of price is to search the internet and see what the median price is. This will only be used as a guide because a lot of factors influence the price of toys. When determining the price range for an old toy you must consider factors like the make, the condition and the scarcity.

If you have the suspicion that your toy is valuable or a collectible, it might be in your best interest to get professional help. Antique dealers can give you an accurate value of the toy in question. Never leave it to chance. Don´t sell something too cheap if it has a real value. Do your research and use common sense when trying to sell your old childhood memories.

Please visit Ride-On Excavators to get more information.

Dolls houses that are intended for children are very different from those that are intended for adult dolls house enthusiasts.

Dolls houses for girls and boys are generally much simpler than those designed for the collector. They are often made from wood, sturdy and robust with no small, removable parts.

Dolls houses for adult enthusiasts can often have small, detailed decorative parts that could easily be broken off by a child. These clearly present a choke hazard making this type of dolls house completely unsuitable for children.

Dolls houses are fantastic learning toys for boys and girls. They encourage imaginative play and provide a way for children to interact with one another and with adults.

Many town and city centres are rapidly changing as an increasing number of people turn to the internet for their shopping. Traditional toy shops are one type of town centre outlets that appear to be dieing off.

When I was a lad I loved to go into our local town with my mum and dad just to gaze in amazement at the bewildering array of fantastic toys in the window of the town’s toy shop. If we were to go inside I can recall being so excited that I would nearly wet myself. How times have changed.

While there are still a few national chains with outlets in some cities and towns, the smaller, local, independent toy shops have all but died out. Replaced by out of town warehouse style outlets and, of course, the internet.

Shopping for toys online, whilst being immensely convenient and economical, lacks the magic that a visit to the local independent, traditional toy shop used to have. Children can’t really appreciate or even understand a toy until they have touched it and maybe taken it for a test-play. From a child’s perspective the internet can’t really compete.

What’s the answer? Well there isn’t one. While grown-ups seek convenience and economy, children miss out on the magical experience that a visit to their local toy shop used to be.

Who can remember having a pedal car as a child? I certainly can. It was one of my favourite playthings, right up until I was simply too big to fit into it any more.

Isn’t it funny how, in the age of the computer with flight simulators and sophisticated computer games, many of these old-school playthings are becoming popular once again. Many parents are moving away from the techno-toys, instead choosing more traditional playthings that they enjoyed as a child.

Pedal cars are one of those toys from days-gone-by that are becoming increasingly popular once again. They are a great enticement to get the children away from their computers and out of the house to engage in a little active, energetic pedalling.

If you are looking for something that is a little bit different for a toddler then a pedal car could be just the thing. And you don’t need to worry about rising fuel prices!

Where do you start with buying a learning toy for a child?

Are you the harassed Uncle or Auntie wondering what to buy a niece or nephew? Are you a puzzled Mum or Dad wondering what toy may connect with your child and develop them further?

Truth be told there are simply too many toys for parents to choose from and guess what the parents choice is typically narrowed by advertisers and peer pressure.

Look at every Christmas, there is typically a mad stampede for the en-vogue toy of choice, which inavriably ends-up in the obscure never-never land of the back of the wardrobe once the novelty wears off.

Another factor is are those buying presents actually that bothered whether a toy is going to have the right benefit for the child? My guess and experience is not, but you may disagree.

Do the likes of Argos, Woolworths and Toys R Us and the like actually give people the right choices? Or are mass marketed, mass produced, easy win, easy buy toys with attractive packaging co-ersing people into making an impulse purchase.

Have you ever tried asking a member of staff on whether a specific toy would be good for a childs reading, or writing or arithmitec skills? They haven’t a clue and subsequently a child is then in the hands of the gods.

Unfortunately this is endemic of society and the fast speedy world in which we live in which everything must be done at a pace. Thankfully there are a number of stores which do care about children and that do care about what toys they play with.

Traditional toys, wooden toys, retro toys, learning toys, educational toys call them what you like, they still have a place in homes up and down the UK, it is just a pity that so many people do not get to know about these stores.

I have purchased many of these ‘traditional toys’ but not from the big high street stores, I have always found the time to be purposeful about certain toy purchases. That is not to say that I do not enjoy a visit to Toys R Us? Of course I do, all that fun in one place. All I am saying is don’t expect to find toys that will make use of your child’s imagination and nurture their learning.

My favourite Toy Shops include Mulberry Bush Online Toy Shop which is great for Traditional Toys and Hamleys which is an absolute Aladdins cave!