Finding educational toys for your kids

Sudibyo M. Wiradji, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

When it comes to choosing toys for their children, most parents buy them not only for fun, but also for educational reasons.

A wide range of learning toys that are designed to encourage creativity and thinking skills are available in many supermarkets and malls across the country.

Imported educational toys, such as LeapFrog and Oregon Scientific computer toys, can be found in Pondok Indah Mall, Puri Indah Mall, Citraland mall, Kelapa Gading Mall and other big malls.

"Our regular customers always buy something for their children when a new model arrives," said Enzie Regina, marketing executive of US-based Toys 'R' Us, one of the major toy retailers in town.

Even though computer toys entered the market several years ago, the toys remain popular among children because the new laptop model always provides new features for their users.

For example, the kids, particularly the girls, love the laptop, not only because of the use of the Barbie character, but also due to its more attractive features.

The program in the Barbie laptop focuses on English, mathematics and games. "With the laptop, children are expected to learn basic English, including vocabulary, spelling and grammar," she said.

The laptops vary in the level of difficulty, depending on the age. A laptop for children aged 8 and up provides more activities that are more complicated compared to the ones for younger children.

Apart from computer toys, Toys 'R' Us also provides various puzzles and Lego sets that the store categorizes into educational toys.

Montessori puzzles are among the trendy ones, according to Toys 'R' Us' duty manager Puji. The puzzles are available in different series suited to age, including Rush Hour and Safari Rush Hour for children aged 8 to adults.

In the puzzle, Rush Hour, for instance, a player is supposed to clear the path to make a good escape route by shifting the blocking cars and trucks up and down, left and right. The puzzles have different level of difficulty, depending on the age.

"Each puzzle has 40 level of difficulty. Not only children who like the game, but also adults," said Puji, adding that with the puzzle, children are expected to learn how to solve problems, to boost their I.Q and to be patient.

Other toy retailers that provide a wide collection of branded educational toys are Kidz Station and Toys City.

At Kidz Station, also in Pondok Indah, the educational toys are put in a special area on the second floor called EKidz.

Apart from computer toys, the store also provides a wide collection of mega blocks and Lego sets for preschool age and school age children. "By building separate blocks into the child's desired objects, such as a house, a bridge or a plane, the child can boost his or her creativity," said one Kidz Station shop assistant.

Different characters of Gundam now in fashion among school age children are placed at a special Gbase room, with a giant Gundam on display.

Many children also enjoy assembling parts to make an object, with different level from the simple ones like assembling parts to make a small and colorful fish to more complicated ones like war ships, dinosaurs and armed Gundam robots.

Meanwhile, parents who pay avid attention to the development of their children aged under six will have a great opportunity to get a variety of branded and high quality toys when Play 'N' Learn toy store opens.

Play 'N' Learn, to be opened to the public on Oct. 31, 2004, will occupy the second floor of the Kemang Square, on Jl. Kemang Raya No. 3 A, Jakarta.

Providing high quality toys with educational value for preschool children was the reason behind the store, said Play 'N' Learn's co-owner Faliming Thamin.

"The rapid growth of preschools in Indonesia has prompted us to open such a store. In the past, most parents sent their children only to attend a kindergarten when they reached five- years-old, but now many send them to schools at an earlier age," she said.

The store focuses on providing toys for babies up to six-years-old because "rapid brain development happens in that time," she said.

Top imported products to be available include the Brio railway track and accessories made in Sweden. "With the available parts of rail tracks and accessories, the children in groups are not only expected to assemble them to make a track but also play with the train when completed," she said.

While creating the track, the children are indirectly trained to use their imagination, learn how to solve a problem, use logical thinking and develop their motor skills and eye coordination, she said.

"It will also train them to work as a team and develop their social skills," she added.