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Educational Toys

SecondGeneration's picture

VTech Storio 2

Right then guys and girls, do any of you have a VTech Storio 2 in your households? If so would you recommend them?
They are marketed as a good educational tool to help develop reading skills but also as a platform for games, creating photos and videos, etc.
With Christmas coming up it is a potential idea for SD4, however my partner and I aren't sure whether to bother with it.
On one side, SD4 seems to be loosing her interest in reading books. My partner never incorporated a book before bed routine but would read to her daily (he was FT CP from birth to 2 when BM gained custody). No idea what happens at BMs house but SD simply doesnt hold the same interest with books as she used to. My partner thinks something like the storio might be a good way of getting some reading going again.
Like most youngsters if given the choice she would sit watching tv all day, but since my partner now only has her EOWE and one day in the week he limits tv to a little in the morning and a little before bed. I have been in the picture since SD was 2, back then I had an ipad with some toddler apps on which she would play so theres no doubt she would enjoy playing with it but when you are encouraging a child to use their imagination to play with their toys and then hand them a tablet is a bit contradictory.
Technically the Vtech storio says its for ages 3 till 9 so shes in the right age range, I just wonder what peoples opinions are when it comes to these "educational" toys.
At the moment we are thinking we are probably best off avoiding this type of toy for as long as possible, keep trying with the reading with real books since lets face it, if theres a choice of reading or playing games on that tablet shes not going to pick reading.

moeilijk's picture

I have no experience, but I gotta agree with your gut on this one.

Maybe start making going to the library together a 'special' activity. Like, as you (or DH, I mean the plural 'you', lol) do things, or she asks questions, etc, say - great question SD, let's write that down for when we go to the library tomorrow/next week.

And then when you go, have part of the time for her to look up the answer to a question, part of the time to pick out a book to learn about something (how do birds fly? why is grass green? what are rainbows made out of?) and, hopefully, a fun story to read together. Maybe have a list of 4 or 5 and just choose one the first few times.

You don't have her a lot, but I think making reading something that is special and for her to show that she's a smart cookie as well as a bonding/loving thing... will be great.

I think electronics to entertain is a no-go for as long as possible.

SecondGeneration's picture

We actually do go to the library all together quite often, problem is, the brilliant library staff have just moved all the disney and kids dvds into the kids reading book section, makes it somewhat distracting for her. But I do love the questions idea, I can see that working well.

moeilijk's picture

Well... after moving across the continent, twice, an e-reader is a great option.

Not the same, but I have my books with me!

Also, I read really fast, and I'd need to bring a suitcase full of books for vacations... much nicer to just bring one teeny-tiny (well, paperback-sized) e-reader!