discussion post

Overview

1. For this discussion, you will need to find and critique a children’s toy. Either go to a toy store or find toys online. Pick toys that would be appropriate for the early childhood stage of development.
2. Focus on toys that will assist children as they develop age-appropriate skills in the following domains of development:
   • Gross motor skills (i.e., large body movement of limbs; e.g., crawling, sitting independently, walking)
   • Fine motor skills (i.e., small body movements, mostly with hands; e.g., using eating utensils, handwriting, tying shoes, fastening buttons)
   • Speech-language skills (i.e., production of sound, expressive language, receptive language; e.g., articulating words clearly, learning vocabulary)
   • Cognitive skills (e.g., memory, processing speed, visual scanning, operational thought, problem-solving, conservation, egocentrism)
   • Social skills (e.g., appropriate play with peers, learning social cues, prosocial behaviors like sharing)
   • Emotional skills (i.e., emotional awareness, self-regulation strategies)
3. Answer the questions below.

• Provide a description of the toy, the intended age ranges from the manufacturer, and what the manufacturer claims the toy should help the child with. Please include a picture or video of the toy.
• How, exactly, would this toy help a child practice and learn one or more of the skills listed above?
• Relate this back to one of the theories of stages by Piaget, Vygotsky, or Erikson. Discuss how this toy fits in with one of these theories.
• Is the manufacturer right? Is the toy really most appropriate for a child in the suggested age range? And does the toy actually help children learn the intended skill?