which toys would make my 2 and 8 year olds smart?

Answer 1

If you want them to be smart, you need to spend time with them and teach them, not just plop them down with some toys and walk away.

Have them help you sort laundry by color and match socks. These are basic math skills!

Play toy cars with them. Have them sort the cars by color and see which group has the most. (Again...math skills!)

As you climb stairs with your kids, count the steps.

Point out and read signs as you are out and about.

Read books to your kids. Let them see you reading too. Take them to library story times or participate in reading programs.

As you read to them, be sure to read the title and the author (in KG they will be asked to identify these things) Point to the words as you read so they will learn that text goes front to back, left to right, top to bottom.

Take turns reading with your older child. Have him/her read a paragraph or a page and then you read the next one. If he gets stuck, jump in to help.

Have them help set the table for dinner. Not only will they llearn a basic life skill, they're practicing math! One of each item for each person. Matching items one to one. Learning that the numbers when you count actually stand for something.

Have your 8 year old help with the grocery list if s/he reads well enough. He can practice writing by taking dictation from you to create the list. Or he can practice reading by carrying it and marking things off for you.

Sing the alpahbet song to your youngest. Sing songs, play music and dance.

Talk to the youngest about the colors and shapes you see in your day.

Talk about how things work. Opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew is a lesson in simple machines! Playing with a couple of cups in the bathtub you can teach basic science principles like displacement.

Cook with them. Measuring ingredients and reading recipes will teach your oldest important skills.

For your youngest, the Leap Frog fridge magnets that talk would be great to teach letters and sounds. They also have a great Letter Factory DVD. There are other Leap Frog DVD's that teach basic reading skills that might be good for your 8 year old, depending on his/her current reading level.

Take them online at http://www.starfall.com and let them learn about letters and reading there. Some very nice online learning opportunities on that site.

Answer 2

The BEST toy to help your children reach their potential is YOU! The more you enjoy them and encourage them, the more they'll be willing to try in life.

BOOKS are the next best thing, but they need you too. The more you read to your kids, the greater likelihood they'll enjoy reading too. Make it fun. Get new books from the library every week. Continue to read to the 8-year old, this will introduce him to a much richer vocabulary and grammer knowledge. Be sure to let the kids catch you reading too. We have a rule that we get TV/computer time equal to the amount of time they spend reading. Grown ups, too. Well, we do work on the computer, so that doesn't count. My 6-year old LOVES the computer and will read two+ hours a day. My 5-year old would rather do something physical so he reads one beginner book to me and I read one picture book or a couple chapters to him and he's outta here. BUT, he'll be back for round 2. My 3-year old loves to sit and be read to and talk about the pictures, but only for 5 or 10 mins at a time, several times a day.

Playing games like "find something (blue or round or ?)" or adding numbers on licence plates; cooking together; doing puzzles (word, number & jigsaw); visiting places and talking about it; shopping and figuring the best price; anything that makes it fun to learn is good. But YOU, not some magical toy is the answer. If they're not genetically blessed/cursed with high intelligence, doesn't mean they won't be smart. Work with them, but keep it fun.

Answer 3

I don't think toys will "make them smart" The only thing that can teach them more knowledge is you. You have to be there and help them learn. Maybe try getting a rug with a map on it if you can find something like that and HELP them learn it. Don't put it on the floor and say "here learn from that rug" and walk away, that won't "make your children more smart" at all.

Answer 4

K, I have twin 8 year olds and a 5 year old...

I recommend ...
Read to them everyday, even when they know how to read - they learn a lot of words they're not exposed to in everyday conversation/TV.

For your 8 year old...
Games that you play with them are good - Scrabble, Pictionary, Monopoly, Cranium, Cribbage, Checkers, and Chess.

Puzzles are good.

My kids think the electronic games are boring, and I don't think they really teach all that much. Save your money.

Answer 5

There are lots of things that you can do with them to help them learn. But for as far learning toys go leapfrog toys are the best. You can usually find them at your local Wal-mart or K-mart. You can also order them from their site.

Answer 6

for the 2 year:something with the abc and 123s on it.
for the 8 year old:buy him a book with a lot of answers and if he needs to now something he can look it up so he can be prepared for school.

Answer 7

You can't make your children "smart". Either they are or they're not. I would suggest going to Hobby Lobby and finding some teacher/student learning tools to work with.
Love Love Love.. and support. That's the best way to help our children grow and mature.

Answer 8

There are NO toys that will MAKE your children smart. Obviously they're not genetically inclined to be that way are they?

Answer 9

The 8 year old Scramble, and the two year old those educational baby shows when they teach you the colors, numbers, alphebet, and all those stuff you'd learn in Pre-K.

Answer 10

Lego! Buy for him alot of brick! Lego is best for children that usually playing alone. When I was a kid, I used to play Lego alone, and I never get bored. I build this thing, and then destroy it to build another better one.. It develope your creative skill! And the kid will never get bored 'cuz Lego has some "secret addict".