Sometimes is it rainy outside, and other times, like this summer, it has been just too hot to even move. Still my kids, ages 5 and 8, want something to do!
Like many moms I have limited their high tech time with TV, computer and the like and I want to come up with some great ideas for play that encourage thinking, imagination and interaction.
I am lucky that I am a co-owner of a toy store in Toronto. This keeps me ‘in the loop’, as to what is new and exciting, in my quest for what I think are the perfect toys. I also get to see kids who come into the store interact with various products, and this gives me ideas of what may work at home.
One of the best toys to I've taken home recently is called ‘Magformers’.
Magformers are extremely powerful magnets safely encapsulated within brightly coloured triangles and squares. Kids can build countless 3D structures, from awesome shapes to rocket ships to buildings and vehicles, based on imagination or suggestions from the manufacturer. In addition to encouraging imaginative play, Magformers also help with the development of fine and gross motor skills.
Not only that, but Magformers proved to have tremendous play value. Both the 5 year-old and the 8-year old spend hours using these in all different ways. The fun they get out of these and the challenge to their imaginations is hard to describe. I figure a picture is always worth a thousand words so click here to see a short video of the fun and unlimited play time you and your kids can expect from Magformers.
There was another brilliant outcome from taking home Magformers which I am really pleased about! My kids are actually building things together when they play with these. So I would also consider Magformers a successful tool for promoting co-operative play.
In addition to everything else I really like about Magformers, they are also a great toy to take in the car on road trips. No muss! No fuss! The magnetization keeps all the pieces together so none are easily lost.
Magformers retail for approximately $27.99.
Katie MacKinnon is the mother of 2 children, a girl age 8 and a boy age 5. She is the co-owner of Treasure Island Toys on the Danforth in Toronto, a member of Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS).
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