Toy Evaluation #1: (Perceptual Development)
Toy name: Leap Frog Counting Pal Caterpillar
What is the toy?: This colorful caterpillar has 5 "legs" labeled with animals and insects. The body of the toy is labeled with numbers 1-5. This toy plays music and has a variety of parts your child can play with.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy does a great job promoting your child's perceptual development through vision, hearing and touch. Vision is promoted through the contrast of colors, striped patterns, and pictures of animals and insects. The face of the caterpillar promotes visual development as well. The sense of hearing is promoted because the toy talks to your child when certain body parts are squeezed. In response to a squeeze or push of a button, the toy sings numbers, colors and music. The volume can be adjusted accordingly throughout your child's play session. The sense of touch is promoted with this toy using a variety of soft, cloth textures. As your child explores the toy, they will notice that the touch of their hand to certain parts of the toy results in a playful and fun interaction!
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: "Yes, I strongly recommend this toy because it promotes three different perceptions that are significant to development of your child." -(Dr. Rich)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent)?: "This toy is so much fun for your child and you to explore! I would definitely recommend this toy, not only because it is educational but because it is crib safe and emphasizes learning of numbers, colors, animals and insects."-(Melissa, Michigan)
What is the toy?: This colorful caterpillar has 5 "legs" labeled with animals and insects. The body of the toy is labeled with numbers 1-5. This toy plays music and has a variety of parts your child can play with.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy does a great job promoting your child's perceptual development through vision, hearing and touch. Vision is promoted through the contrast of colors, striped patterns, and pictures of animals and insects. The face of the caterpillar promotes visual development as well. The sense of hearing is promoted because the toy talks to your child when certain body parts are squeezed. In response to a squeeze or push of a button, the toy sings numbers, colors and music. The volume can be adjusted accordingly throughout your child's play session. The sense of touch is promoted with this toy using a variety of soft, cloth textures. As your child explores the toy, they will notice that the touch of their hand to certain parts of the toy results in a playful and fun interaction!
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: "Yes, I strongly recommend this toy because it promotes three different perceptions that are significant to development of your child." -(Dr. Rich)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent)?: "This toy is so much fun for your child and you to explore! I would definitely recommend this toy, not only because it is educational but because it is crib safe and emphasizes learning of numbers, colors, animals and insects."-(Melissa, Michigan)
Toy Evaluation #2: (Perceptual Development)
Toy name: Vtech Learning Tunes Karaoke
What is the toy?: This colorful robot sings familiar songs, has lots of light up buttons, a screen and a working microphone.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy does a great job promoting your child's perceptual development through vision, hearing and touch. Vision is promoted through use of the robot's screen. When music is played by the robot facial expressions pop up on the screen relating to the song being played. The use of colors and pictures helps to promote vision. The sense of hearing is promoted when the toy robot talks as the results of buttons being pressed. Your child can utilize the microphone to talk into as well change the sound of their voice with 4 different settings. The robot plays 15 popular songs that a child can use their hearing to learn and memorize! The microphone promotes language development as the child uses imaginative play. Lastly, the sense of touch is promoted through the use of buttons. The entire toy is made of plastic, so there is no variation of materials used.
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: Yes, I would recommend this toy because it promotes 2 important perceptions that a child develops. There are multiple aspects of this toy that can contribute to the development, including memorization of familiar songs, and partaking in imaginative play by having fun singing into the microphone." -(Dr. Rich)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent)?: "This toy is so much fun for your child to play with! It's not only fun for the child to play with, but it is so interesting for a parent to watch them explore. It allows your child to increase the volume and change the sound of their voice with the microphone, and sing the songs they learn. Your child will definitely become a rock star while playing with this awesome toy!" -(Melissa, Michigan)
What is the toy?: This colorful robot sings familiar songs, has lots of light up buttons, a screen and a working microphone.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy does a great job promoting your child's perceptual development through vision, hearing and touch. Vision is promoted through use of the robot's screen. When music is played by the robot facial expressions pop up on the screen relating to the song being played. The use of colors and pictures helps to promote vision. The sense of hearing is promoted when the toy robot talks as the results of buttons being pressed. Your child can utilize the microphone to talk into as well change the sound of their voice with 4 different settings. The robot plays 15 popular songs that a child can use their hearing to learn and memorize! The microphone promotes language development as the child uses imaginative play. Lastly, the sense of touch is promoted through the use of buttons. The entire toy is made of plastic, so there is no variation of materials used.
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: Yes, I would recommend this toy because it promotes 2 important perceptions that a child develops. There are multiple aspects of this toy that can contribute to the development, including memorization of familiar songs, and partaking in imaginative play by having fun singing into the microphone." -(Dr. Rich)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent)?: "This toy is so much fun for your child to play with! It's not only fun for the child to play with, but it is so interesting for a parent to watch them explore. It allows your child to increase the volume and change the sound of their voice with the microphone, and sing the songs they learn. Your child will definitely become a rock star while playing with this awesome toy!" -(Melissa, Michigan)
Toy Evaluation #1: (Gross Motor Skill Development)
Toy name: The Bumble Ball
What is the toy?: The Bumble Ball is a motorized ball that, when turned on (via one of the colorful knobs) bounces and rolls around the room.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy was made to promote young children to move and try to chase and catch the ball. The movement of crawling after the ball is considered a gross motor skill because it involves large muscle groups.
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent?): "Yes, I would recommend this toy because it gets my baby moving around the room and it looks like he is having fun while doing so." -(Dr. Kohlruss)
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist?): "This toy promotes gross motor skills which are important to the development of your child, and at that end I would definitely recommend this toy!" -(Justin, Michigan)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uknVDUKCt54
What is the toy?: The Bumble Ball is a motorized ball that, when turned on (via one of the colorful knobs) bounces and rolls around the room.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Yes! This toy was made to promote young children to move and try to chase and catch the ball. The movement of crawling after the ball is considered a gross motor skill because it involves large muscle groups.
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent?): "Yes, I would recommend this toy because it gets my baby moving around the room and it looks like he is having fun while doing so." -(Dr. Kohlruss)
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist?): "This toy promotes gross motor skills which are important to the development of your child, and at that end I would definitely recommend this toy!" -(Justin, Michigan)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uknVDUKCt54
Toy Evaluation #2: (Fine Motor Skill Development)
Toy name: 3-in-1 Musical Band
What is the toy?: This is a battery operated toy piano/guitar that promotes fine motor skills in children ages 3+.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Complete with a neck strap to help with holding and moving the toy, the guitar/piano plays sounds and responds to the buttons that are pressed with the child's fingers.
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: "With its various buttons and sounds, the toy guitar/keyboard promotes find motor skills and with it being easily movable, it easily promotes walking around. I would recommend this toy!"- (Dr. Kohlruss)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent?): "This toy is fun for both me and my baby to play and discover together. I would recommend it because it brings out their creative side, and it's such a joy to see!" -(Justin, Michigan)
What is the toy?: This is a battery operated toy piano/guitar that promotes fine motor skills in children ages 3+.
Does this toy promote perceptual development?: Complete with a neck strap to help with holding and moving the toy, the guitar/piano plays sounds and responds to the buttons that are pressed with the child's fingers.
Would you recommend this toy (as a developmental psychologist)?: "With its various buttons and sounds, the toy guitar/keyboard promotes find motor skills and with it being easily movable, it easily promotes walking around. I would recommend this toy!"- (Dr. Kohlruss)
Would you recommend this toy (as a parent?): "This toy is fun for both me and my baby to play and discover together. I would recommend it because it brings out their creative side, and it's such a joy to see!" -(Justin, Michigan)
New Toy Designed by Us!
Toy name: Baby's First Tablet
What is the toy?: This toy would incorporate current, handheld technology to help insure the child’s cognition and motor skills grow at the rate they are supposed to.
Recommended for Ages: 2-10 (Pre-Operational and Concrete Operational stages of cognitive development). The child will use their logic to do mentally what before they can do physically. The child can you primitive reasoning to ask "why?" certain actions happen when specific parts of the screen are touched. The child can also begin to use symbolic functioning to later mentally represent an object they discover on the tablet. This tablet has multiple apps that are designed to help your child develop cognitively through learning organization, seriation and transitivity.
Briefly describe it:
What is the toy?: This toy would incorporate current, handheld technology to help insure the child’s cognition and motor skills grow at the rate they are supposed to.
Recommended for Ages: 2-10 (Pre-Operational and Concrete Operational stages of cognitive development). The child will use their logic to do mentally what before they can do physically. The child can you primitive reasoning to ask "why?" certain actions happen when specific parts of the screen are touched. The child can also begin to use symbolic functioning to later mentally represent an object they discover on the tablet. This tablet has multiple apps that are designed to help your child develop cognitively through learning organization, seriation and transitivity.
Briefly describe it:
- Tablet Style
- Reinforced screen and casing to avoid breaking due to accidental dropping and liquid damage.
- Software would allow for parents to upgrade it as the child grows up.
- Would include activities such as Memory, Direction recognition, Number and Letter Recognition, Simple mathematical problems, etc... (pending age appropriateness)
- Large, interactive buttons on the outside to foster gross motor skills