What happened to good old blocks and balls? The Child Care Exchange (www.childcareexchange.com) has alerted us to the Infant & Toddler Play, Toys & Media ACTION GUIDE developed by Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children’s Entertainment (TRUCE).The guide spells out why quality play is so important and what types of toys support healthy play. It includes some specific recommendations of toys for infants and toddlers. The introduction describes how creative play is being challenged today:
- Infants and toddlers are spending many hours in front of a screen
- Many toys are marketed as educational when in fact there is no evidence to prove it.
- The increasing number of electronic toys, games, and DVDs often turns our infants and toddlers into passive players whose main activity becomes pushing a button.