If you are like most parents, you are looking for toys that are not only fun but are either educational or help with overall development. Fortunately, there are many toys to choose from.
Many parents don’t realize that we are not born with perfect vision. In fact, children’s vision continues to develop all the way through the teen years. While our eyes stop growing at 25 years of age, kids should have developed all the visual skills required for reading and learning by the time they turn 16. Therefore, in choosing toys and games for children and teenagers, it is important to choose those that help support visual development.
Playing computer games and watching TV or movies, doesn’t provide the necessary opportunities to develop the visual skills that are critical to academic success. We have seen a lot of children throughout the years who struggled in school because of poorly developed visual skills. Fortunately, we were able to help them, but we know there are millions of children out there who continue to struggle unnecessarily.
Keep in mind that seeing “20/20”, or passing a vision screening, only means that your child can see the letters on the eye chart he/she is supposed to see from 20 feet away. Vision screenings do not test all the visual skills vital for learning. There are more than 17 visual skills in addition to being able to see “20/20” which are vital to reading and learning.
Most toys are designed for playing within a distance of 18 to 24 inches. Visual developmental also requires outdoor activities, such as playing catch, T-ball, badminton, tennis, etc
Following is a list of some toys that that can support a variety of visual skills, such as:
• building eye-hand coordination
• shape and size discrimination (important for reading)
• general movement skills (for everything from writing to sports)
• space and distance judgments (crucial for riding a bicycle/driving and sports)
• left/right awareness (vital to avoid reversals)
• visual thinking
• visualization
• visual memory skills (vital to developing concepts)
3–5 Years
• Lego® Duplo®
• Stacking Peg Board Set
• Imaginets (Mindware)
• Bean Bag Toss Game
• Kid K’Nex
6–8 Years
• Ring Toss
• Marble Runs
• K’NEX Imagine
• Hasbro Jenga Classic Game
• Osmo kit
9–14 Years
• Set: Family Game of Visual Perception
• Ladder Ball Set
• Suspend game (Melissa & Doug)
• Loopz™ games
• SmartGames Quadrillion
Wishing you a fun, safe, and healthy holiday season by encouraging your children to round out their activities with some of these tried and true games. If your child doesn’t like these games, or struggles with reading and learning, it could be a sign of a vision problem which requires a vision evaluation by a Developmental Optometrist. To find one near you, visit: www.visiontherapycanada.com
For more information on the visual skills required for academic success, you can visit: www.covd.org/visual_skills or www.grandvisioninstitute.com
Dr. Matthew Anderson provides vision care for the entire family and also provides specialized services in the diagnosis and treatment of vision problems that interfere with reading and learning. Dr. Anderson is a popular speaker with parents and professional groups and may be reached at (204) 633-5566. For more information visit his website: www.grandvisioninstitute.com
