From coding robots to virtual reality apps it’s safe to say that there has been no shortage of fascinating and interactive new tech toys in recent years. But are the toys that we grew up with completely outdated and irrelevant in the world we live in today? While we can argue that it is valuable and necessary to expose kids to a variety of tech and coding toys in the new fast-paced digital age, it does not mean that the toys that we remember as kids should be forgotten. Many toys that we remember from childhood taught us many important tried and true skills that kids still need today. Take a look at the 8 oldskool toys below that are just as engaging and useful today.
Please note: I am a participant of the Amazon Services Associates Program and have included “affiliate links” for all the toys. This means that when you click the pictures or links provided and make a purchase, I receive a small commission on the toy at no extra cost to you. You can read more about the Amazon Associates Program here.
1) Why Lite-Brite? Because it provides one of the best fine motor workouts. Not only do you need force and coordination to push the pegs through the paper, but you are also working on a vertical surface which helps strengthen the wrist as you play. A strong wrist is needed for adequate fine motor control so that tasks like writing, buttoning, and cutting can be more comfortable.
2) Why Etch-A-Sletch? Drawing with Etch-A-Sketch will keep kids busy for quite some time while working on-problem solving and developing creativity. Also, the left knob only moves horizontally and the right one only vertically which encourages coordination of both sides of the body to draw.
3) Why Operation? Operation requires the use of tweezers which helps strengthen the tripod grasp (grasp needed to hold a pencil). It also helps develop fine motor control and coordination as you try to carefully remove the “ailments” without touching the sides of the openings with the tweezers.
4) Why Mr. Potato Head? Playing with Mr. Potato Head is a cute way for kids to learn about body parts and where they are in regards to one another. For example, the feet go on the bottom, and the nose is under the hat. It’s also an excellent way for kids to design their own creative and silly characters while developing fine motor skills, strength, and coordination.
5) Why Boggle Jr? Because it teaches matching and letter recognition, sight words and helps with spelling. Also, while learning to spell, kids work on visual memory, as they see the letters before the word disappears under the cardholder.
6) Why Candyland? Candyland is a classic first board game with instructions that are simple for small children to understand. While playing, kids learn the concept of following a path with a pawn, counting, matching colors, and focusing on reaching a long term goal.
7) Why Twister? Besides being super silly and fun, twister helps develop balance and coordination, right and left discrimination, and core strength.
8) Why Play-Doh? For so many reasons! Not only does it provide a nice sensory experience, but it also helps build strength in the hands, and promotes creativity. I adore this dentist Play-Doh set!