Technology and toys are a common combination these days. As education, be it structured at school or part of a play session at home, leans towards a higher degree of digital learning, it is no surprise to see toys take on a more high-tech nature. One of the more popular playthings in this area is the toy laptop.
In many ways, a toy laptop is not a toy. It’s a learning tool, very much in keeping with the trend in digital education. Kids want to copy what their Mum or Dad are doing, and with most parents tapping away on a laptop or smartphone while they relax on the sofa, it is only natural that youngsters will be keen to join in. Toy laptops are the obvious way for parents to keep their children happy in this respect, yet there is some concern that this item might not be as educational as many other developmental toys e.g. simple wooden blocks, “pretend work” playsets or toys designed especially to promote motor skills, interactive skills and numeracy or literacy.
The good news is, toy laptops are a valuable addition to any child’s collection of playthings. For a start, they reflect the world the youngster is growing up in. Unlike any generation before them, they’re surrounded by technology and, one day, they’ll be more reliant than we are on this technology to work, play and just live! By presenting them with a laptop at an early age, you’re gradually teaching them to accept technology into their lives, but you’re doing it in a fun way.
It’s actually education hidden as fun. Toy laptops, like so many digital learning aids, deliver a wide range of benefits. They assist in the development of hand-eye coordination and motor skills when children use the keyboard or tap icons on a toy tablet. Many toy laptops are designed to teach children about letters of the alphabet, general communication and simple phrases, numbers, equations, colours, shapes, sounds and more – but the learning is interactive and often presented in an entertaining game form.
Any wariness you may feel about buying a toy laptop for your child might be natural, but it is probably misplaced. When you choose a laptop that’s been designed with digital learning in mind instead of just playing, your child can’t help but learn valuable lessons. Consider it to be learning for the 21st century; digital learning where a toy is more than a toy.
