It’s tempting to get your kid every shiny new toy they ask for. But some toys are better than others when it comes to actually stimulating your child’s brain while also keeping them entertained. The parents on the Engadget staff know this well, and we’ve tried out a bunch of educational toys with our kids, with various results. These are some of the ones that have had staying power with our children — and even we adults have to admit we found them pretty fun, too.Magna-TilesEngadgetThere are tons of building toys out there, from LEGO, to Tegu, to the classic wooden block. But one of my favorites (and my kid’s) are Magna-Tiles. These large, colorful construction toys come in a variety of sizes and shapes and click together, or to other surfaces, with the aid of powerful magnets. They can be combined to form simple shapes like cubes and pyramids, or arranged to make magnetic art on a garage door. Plus there are themed packs that can add windows, staircases or even functional cranes to the playsets.These are open-ended building toys that don’t have set instructions for making a particular scene or item. They’re safe for a three-year-old, and fun for much older kids, too. Honestly, as a nearly 40-year-old man, even I have a blast finding new and interesting ways to create ever more elaborate structures with my son. We’ve built castles, spaceships, racecars and even a ferry terminal complete with a moveable boarding ramp.At $120 for a 100 piece set, Magna-Tiles certainly... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2022-07-20 13:30:09 UTC ]
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Kobo's not quite done with the news tonight. In addition to an e-reader, three tablets and Pocket integration, the Canadian-turned-Japanese company has also got some announcements on the content side of things. First up is the addition of magazines to its store, bringing titles from Conde Nast,... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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It peeked its head out just a day ago by way of a Korean back-to-school catalog, and now Samsung's ready to let its kid-friendly cat out of the bag. The Galaxy Tab 3 Kids is, as the name implies, aimed at ever more tech savvy young ones, featuring a child-friendly skinned Android 4.1 and a slew... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-08-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Remember hiding out reading a book under the covers after you were supposed to be in bed? This brilliant children’s book embraces that tradition. Reading after dark has lost a bit of its wonder. In the era of tablets, there’s no need for kids to rebel in the nerdiest of ways, stashing... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin has released the cover and title of the eighth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book by Jeff Kinney... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The author's children were so mesmerized by Kafka's strange, macabre tales that he wrote My First Kafka: Runaways, Rodents and Giant Bugs, an illustrated, kid-friendly adaptation of three classic Kafka stories. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2013-08-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ken Michaels is to join Macmillan Science and Education at the end of the month as its chief... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In December 2010, China Education Publishing & Media Group (China Education) was formed as a strategic merger to reshape educational publishing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new book provides a more comprehensive look at reproduction. Imagine a picture book that explains where babies come from--but never references gender. What Makes a Baby is described as "a book for every kind of family and for every kind of kid," which means it doesn’t matter if parents are... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-07-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Some of the brightest children from disadvantaged backgrounds can have reading levels two and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Puffin's campaign for Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel by Jeff Kinney [pictured] was... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Technology is a powerful tool, especially for helping develop young minds. Children today are growing up immersed in 3D graphics and complex games, and using a keyboard, mouse, or touchscreen interface is second nature to them. With convertible Ultrabook systems able to transform from tablet... Continue reading at PC World
[ PC World | 2013-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While a high-calibre jury of writers and critics ponders the nominees for this year's Children's Book Awards, we have asked the true experts. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-06-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Science and Education is opening a new regional office in China, based in Shanghai.... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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While a high-calibre jury of writers and critics ponders the nominees for this year's Children's Book Awards, we have asked the true experts. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Jörgits, an indie fantasy novel for kids nine and up, uses interactivity as a supplement to the story, not a stand-in for it. If there’s one reading experience that truly has been transformed by the interactive wonders of the tablet, it’s got to be the children’s book. Apps like The... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2013-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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An interactive children's book to help kids think outside the box is the May showcase winner of data competition Mix & Mash. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stuff is teaming up with the NZ Post Children Books Awards in an initiative to promote the importance of books and reading, and to inspire New Zealand's future writers and illustrators. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-05-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Macmillan Education has announced a global partnership with personalised learning specialists... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-05-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hodder Education has acquired Galore Park, publisher of textbooks, revision guides and past... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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There is a 'girl power' void in new books for Kiwi kids, according to judges on a children's book awards panel. Continue reading at Stuff
[ Stuff | 2013-04-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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