Make Way for Play: Brilliant Benefits of Toys

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Dear Reader,Our mission at the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association (ASTRA) is to “lead the way through play” by helping children have fun, achieve success and lead happy, healthy lives. We do this by providing leadership and resources as “play advocates.”

Our role as a play advocate is to share how toys and play can build muscles, both mentally and physically, across the lifespan. Our bodies, minds and spirits relish play experiences because they enrich our lives through engagement with others and our environments.

What we intend to share with you in this Guide is the hidden curriculum that often takes place when a child plays with a toy or game. This Guide is a collaboration between ASTRA and the National Lekotek Center, a nonprofit dedicated to promoting play opportunities for children of all abilities. We are partnering together because both organizations believe that play is perhaps the easiest way for a child to grow, develop, learn and thrive in what can be a complex and challenging world.

This Guide explains how toys are teachers and can drive child development. The lessons learned through play affect each and every child in crucial and critical ways.

Whether you are a toy store sales associate, a parent, grandparent, family member or friend, we encourage you to promote play to the children (and adults) you care about. Why? Because play is both fun and fundamental to living a healthy, rewarding and relationship-rich life.

So join us on this learning journey. We have endeavored to make this Guide enjoyable in addition to educational. After all, that’s the way toys teach.

Play on,

The ASTRA Team

A Network of National Affiliates

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Play is essential. Toys and play are to child development as sun and water are to plants. Play helps kids take root and thrive in their environment.

This Guide illuminates the brilliant benefits of toys and the skills that sprout to help kids grow and develop.

The following section of this Guide shines light on the cornerstones of child development. It explores how toys are perhaps the fastest and certainly the most fun way for a child to reach important milestones through physical, cognitive, communicative, social/emotional and sensory play experiences.

So let the sun shine on every child and help them grow to their fullest potential while we learn about the key areas of child development!

SOCIAL

/EMOT

IONA

LCOMMUNICATIVE

COGNITIVE

SENS

ORY

PHYSICAL

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Babbles

Gestures

Expresses 1-2 Words

Imitates Sounds

Poses Questions

Uses Pronouns

Asks Why

Moves to Music/Rhythms

Pretends/Imagines

Recognizes Letters & Numbers

Uses Action Words

Shares Experiences

Expresses Ideas

Gives Directions

Starts Conversations

Tells Stories

Recognizes Facial Expressions

Follows Sounds/Voices

Knows Name

Identi�es Objects

Understands “No”

Responds to Sounds/Music

Attentive to Pictures

Identi�es Body Parts

Nods “Yes”/ Shakes “No”

Understands Pronouns

Comprehends Action Words

Follows Instructions

Listens to Stories

Tracks Conversations/People

Comprehends Discussions

Forms Opinions

Receptive Language: Receptive language refers to the skill of being able to comprehend language. This is the ability to understand written words and spoken language. It involves the input we receive when communicating with others and the surroundings in our environment.

Expressive Language: Expressive language refers to the skill of being able to communicate verbally, virtually or through sign language. This involves the output we give when communicating to others and our surroundings. Expressive language has a lot to do with not only what we are saying, but how we are saying it.

Communicative

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Babbles

Gestures

Expresses 1-2 Words

Imitates Sounds

Poses Questions

Uses Pronouns

Asks Why

Moves to Music/Rhythms

Pretends/Imagines

Recognizes Letters & Numbers

Uses Action Words

Shares Experiences

Expresses Ideas

Gives Directions

Starts Conversations

Tells Stories

Recognizes Facial Expressions

Follows Sounds/Voices

Knows Name

Identi�es Objects

Understands “No”

Responds to Sounds/Music

Attentive to Pictures

Identi�es Body Parts

Nods “Yes”/ Shakes “No”

Understands Pronouns

Comprehends Action Words

Follows Instructions

Listens to Stories

Tracks Conversations/People

Comprehends Discussions

Forms Opinions

Communication connects children to others and helps them convey thoughts, messages and information. Mastering communicative development calls for many different skills such as hearing, seeing and interpreting speech, body language and facial expressions.

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Cognitive

Cognition is the way children perceive, think and understand. Cognitive development is the construction of thought processes, including remembering, problem-solving and decision-making. These skills begin in early childhood, move through adolescence and continue into adulthood.

Growth (Brain Plasticity):Our brains are first formed from the blueprint of our genes, and then grow or “reshape” based on experiences, situations or changes in our environment. This is true throughout our lifespan.

Regeneration: The secret to brain health is to challenge our noggins to do novel and stimulating tasks and to not rely on established habits. Regularly changing routines helps to regenerate growth.

Left BrainLeft BrainAnalytical Thought

Detail OrientedDetail Oriented

Sequential Thought

Rational

Verbal

Cautious

Planning

Math/Science

Logical

Language

Right Vision Dominance

Right Motor Skills Dominance

Right BrainIntuitive Thought

Holistic PerceptionRandom Sequencing

EmotionalNon-VerbalLanguageAdventurousImpulsive

CreativeWriting/Art

ImaginativeLeft Vision Dominance

Left Motor Skills Dominance

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Social/emotional development includes the childrens’ experiences, expressions, and management of emotions and feelings. Social and emotional skills are a culmination of learning through the many ages and stages of child development via physical, sensory, communicative and cognitive experiences.

Intrapersonal:Intrapersonal skills involve a level of self-awareness and positive interior dialogue. This includes the ability to understand, regulate and modify personal behavior in appropriate and useful ways.

Interpersonal:Interpersonal skills are the tools we use every day to communicate and interact effectively with other people individually or in groups. These skills foster our relationships with others.

Social/Emotional

Comprom

ise

Self-Confidence

Self-EsteemIndependenceTeamwork

Empathy

Flexibility

Social Awarene

ssPatience

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Physical

Physical skills provide children with the capability they need to explore and interact with the world around them. In young children, physical development also means physical growth (height, weight, etc.). Motor tasks like using large (gross motor) and small (fine motor) muscles during physical activity engage these skill processes.

How toys teach physical skills:

• Connect a child to nature and encourage exploration

• Promote a healthy body and lower risk of obesity

• Teach lessons on strengthening and balancing the body and coordinating hands, feet and eyes

• Lead to engagement and enjoyment that provide both physical and emotional release

Cli m

bing

Cutting

Writing ASTRAStringingSquishing

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Cli m

bing

Cutting

Writing ASTRAStringingSquishing

Fine Motor Skills: Small muscle movements or fine motor skills like hand grasp (pincer, tripod, whole hand), wrist rotation and finger isolation allow kids to engage in activities that synchronize hands, fingers and eyes to work together. Fine motor skills are practiced and developed during activities like stringing beads, coloring on paper or cutting with scissors.

Gross Motor Skills: Large muscle movements or gross motor skills like weight shifting, trunk strength, balance and coordination allow kids to engage in activities that encourage motor planning. Gross motor skills are practiced and developed during activities like roller blading, bike riding or jumping rope.

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Sensory

Sensory development is when one or more of the five senses is engaged in an experience through seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and/or smelling. These five different tracks of information come into our brains and together these senses create individual experiences. Sensory feedback gives children input to help them understand, interpret and relate to the world around them.

Sensory PreferencesEvery person has preferences regarding the sensory input they choose to rely on most when interpreting information. Most children develop a dominant as well as auxiliary (secondary) sensory preference.

Sensory ProcessingThe way sensory signals (taste, touch, sight, sound and smell) come into the brain and get organized into appropriate responses is referred to as sensory processing.

SMELL

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Welcome... to the hidden treasures of toy store choices, where learning, development and academics are embedded into each category of toys and play products that specialty toy retailers offer.Researchers, educators, retailers, customers and those motivated to look closer can find within each toy store category of a product’s potential to:

• Reach new milestones

• Expand abilities

• Teach concepts

• Create new understanding

• Reveal new perspectives

So let’s take a sneak peek to see exactly what we’re talking about when we say toys and play are the easy way for kids...

...to learn, grow and develop!

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Infant:An infant’s development is incredibly escalated as their bodies and brains are both on super-drive. Sensory exploration is the beginning developmental focus as infants begin to understand their world and implement their newly formed senses of sight, touch, sound, taste and smell.

Physical Skills: Reaching, Grasping, Pulling, Scooting, Crawling

Emerging: Hand-eye coordination is starting, fine motor skills are being formed and infants are bringing things to their mouths so they can explore them with their sense of touch and taste. Time spent on the tummy helps babies strengthen their arms, legs and necks to roll over, scoot, crawl and ultimately walk.

Sensory Skills: Seeing, Smelling, Tasting, Touching, Hearing

Emerging: Babies use their senses to both get acquainted with their environment and to achieve comfort. Senses constantly guide, stimulate, and reward babies’ actions.

Cognitive Skills: Object Permanence, Memory & Recall, Cause & Effect

Emerging: Every day while babies interact with and learn about their environment they are creating new connections and pathways between nerve cells both within their brains and between their brains and bodies.

Fun Fact: Babies are strong! Pound for pound babies are stronger than many animals. The legs are babies’ strongest muscles.

Infant Toys: • Teethers • Gyms• Balls • Shape Sorters• Stackers • Plush• Rattles • Mobiles• Clackers • Rollers• Soft Books • Mirrors

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Toddler/Preschool:The toddler/preschool stage of a child’s development is important as young brains grasp concepts that lay the foundations for future learning. Curiosity soars. Mobility and independence increase, as well as language and the ability to understand social cues.

Physical Skills: Walking, Climbing, Throwing, Hopping, Balancing

Emerging: Young brains are learning how to coordinate muscles to balance bodies while moving and shifting weight.

Cognitive Skills: Object Permanence, Spatial Reasoning, Cause & Effect

Emerging: Kids are questioning the how, why and what of anything and everything to try and expand understanding of their surroundings.

Social/Emotional Skills: Self-Regulation, Feelings, Empathy, Interpreting Facial Expressions &

Body Language

Emerging: The key to every child’s ability to manage feelings and to interact successfully with others is through social/emotional learning—sharing, turn taking, patience, understanding.

Fun Fact: Large muscles develop before small muscles which is why holding a pencil comes after learning to run.

Toddler Toys: • Pretend Play • Balls• Sticker Sets • Dolls• Finger Paint • Craft Kits• Play Dough • Puzzles• Costumes • Blocks• Ride-Ons • Books

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Puzzles:Puzzles entertain, delight and challenge. Young children learn key cognitive lessons like visual perception and problem-solving while developing fine motor skills to manipulate pieces and put the puzzle together.

Physical Skills: Whole Hand Grasp, Pincer Grasp, Manipulating, Hand-Eye Coordination

Emerging: Young children are learning to pick up, rotate and place puzzle pieces. This process involves using visual perception and hand-eye coordination as a guide.

Cognitive Skills: Problem-Solving, Early Math, Recognition & Identification, Spatial

Relationships

Emerging: Children are learning beginning math skills like sorting, classifying (round vs. sharp edges, big vs. small), and comparing and contrasting pieces to finish the puzzle.

Social/Emotional Skills: Socialization, Patience, Persistence, Self-Esteem, Independence,

Cooperative Play

Emerging: Puzzles allow kids to work independently or together as a team and fuel patience and persistence needed to master the piece.

Fun Fact: Puzzles are the perfect tools to teach both convergent (one solution) and divergent thinking (multiple solutions).

Toy Tips:• Sort by color first• Then sort by pieces with borders• Build the frame first• Look for redundancy in cut patterns• When all else fails, trial & error

prevails

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Games:Games are key to teaching kids about life lessons while having fun! Kids have permission to take risks, push their potentials and stay socially connected.

Social/Emotional Skills: Turn-Taking, Patience, Good Sportsmanship, Self-Esteem, Confidence,

Teamwork, Role Modeling

Emerging: Games provide a feeling of success and confidence that can be translated into other areas of a child’s life. Losing builds coping skills and the ability to develop good sportsmanship for winning and losing.

Communicative Skills: Speech & Language, Body Language, Facial Expressions, Vocalizations,

Verbalizations

Emerging: Games bring kids together with family members and peers where speech and language development comes naturally. Kids are motivated to verbalize rules, shout out phrases and/or ask questions.

Cognitive Skills: Strategy, Problem-Solving, Logic & Reasoning, Memory & Recall,

Prediction, Rule Following

Emerging: Games help kids maintain focus and attention while learning is secretly embedded in the game. Numbers, colors, strategy and trivia are built into the play.

Research Shows: The number one activity kids choose to play with their parents is games.

Games: • Conversational • Dice• Video/Console • Trivia• Matching • Memory• Educational • Strategy• Cooperative • Computer• Electronic • Active/Kinesthetic

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Science/Discovery:Children are natural scientists because they are full of questions about the world around them and fostering this sense of inquiry is invaluable. Science is based on the principles of observing, predicting, experimenting and interpreting to form conclusions.

Sensory Skills: Observing, Manipulating, Exploring, Hearing, Smelling, Tasting

Emerging: Toys and play products can help kids with experiential learning through their sense of sight, sound, touch, smell and taste. Hands-on activities are best learned in the laboratory of life.

Communicative Skills: Literacy, Speech & Language, Charting, Drawing, Writing

Emerging: Children are learning the inter-relatedness of the world they live in and sharing their observations and findings through drawings and conversations.

Cognitive Skills: Sequencing, Classifying, Concluding, Cause & Effect, Predicting,

Interpreting

Emerging: Science is all about being curious and following a process to make new discoveries. Children are learning to apply their beginning knowledge to the real world through everyday experiences.

Fun Fact: STEM skills (science, technology, engineering & math) are becoming imperative as education employs more technology based learning. Play makes STEM fun!

Toy Tips:• Laser toys teach about reflection and

the spectrum of light

• Aerodynamics can be understood with kites and airplanes that soar

• Energy lessons are explored with solar toys that can light up the night

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Arts/Crafts/Music:Kids express their emotions symbolically through art. When children become immersed in an artistic experience, whether it is drawing, sculpting, singing or dancing, he/she is building imagination and self-esteem.

Physical Skills: Fine Motor, Pincer Grasp, Hand-Eye Coordination, Gross Motor, Balance

& Coordination

Emerging: Holding a crayon, playing with manipulatives or using scissors helps kids develop the small muscles in their hands and encourages dexterity. Grooving to a favorite song develops gross motor skills for balance and coordination.

Communicative Skills: Singing, Drawing, Storytelling, Speech & Language, Interpreting Body

Language & Facial Expressions

Emerging: Artistic expression allows kids to share through music with vocalization and verbalization, and through visual arts with drawing and painting. Sharing their art forms with others opens new opportunities to communicate.

Social/Emotional Skills: Self-Expression, Self-Confidence, Understanding, Empathy,

Self-Awareness

Emerging: Kids’ artistic expression allows them to connect, collaborate and co-create with others. Singing, playing and sharing music brings kids together.

Play Tips:Let kids explore different art forms:

• Music & Dance

• Drawing & Sculpting

• Design & Fashion

• Cooking & Baking

Fun Fact: Brains prefer images, symbols and pictures over words. Words can fall from the memory easier than visuals.

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Construction:Construction toys train young minds about spatial thinking and the ability to visualize in the third dimension. For careers like architects, engineers and doctors, this form of intelligence plays a key role.

Cognitive Skills: Math Concepts, Problem-Solving, Cause & Effect, Convergent Thinking

(single solution), Divergent Thinking (multiple solutions)

Emerging: Construction toys expose kids to pre-math skills like patterns and matching. Three-dimensional construction hones reasoning and logic and helps build mental muscles for complex concepts like geometry and physics.

Physical Skills: Fine Motor, Hand-Eye Coordination, Pincer Grasp, Bilateral Coordination,

Balance

Emerging: Constructive play allows children to experiment and manipulate objects while using their fine motor skills and two-handed play needed for stacking, building and constructing.

Social/Emotional Skills: Communication, Peer Interaction, Imagination, Independent Play,

Cooperative Play

Emerging: Building with others teaches kids cooperative play skills — negotiation, teamwork and patience. As kids build together they can develop relationships and hone leadership skills.

Fun Fact: Kids are able to grasp spatial information easier when they frequently hear locational concepts like middle, behind, in front of, underneath, alongside.

Construction Toys:• Wooden Planks • Blocks• Erector Sets • Gears• Nuts & Bolts • Logs• Slide & Stack • Snaps• Bristle • Magnets

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Outdoor/Active:Active play allows children to explore the potential of their bodies and how to interact with the outdoors. Motor planning skills needed to explore gross motor activities are developed as kids navigate through nature.

Physical Skills: Core Strength, Gross Motor, Coordination, Endurance, Motor Planning

Emerging: Kids build large muscles and improve coordination as they ride, climb, run and jump during play. Core strength is the body’s powerhouse because it relates to posture and facilitates all other movement.

Sensory Skills: Kinesthetic/Tactile, Vestibular (inner ear/balance), Proprioceptive

(pressure on joints), Spatial Orientation

Emerging: Children begin to build balance (vestibular system). This is a coordinated effort involving the inner ear, eyes and brain working together to help achieve balance. Proprioceptive input is a connection between the muscles and the mind providing feedback necessary for movement.

Social/Emotional Skills: Mood Regulation, Relaxation, Relationship Building, Socialization,

Independence, Cooperative Play, Confidence, Self-Esteem

Emerging: Children thrive on movement which helps regulate mood and encourages focus and attention. The easiest way to learn the basics of cooperation and people skills is through group play.

Fun Fact: Movement can be an effective cognitive tool because physical activity strengthens learning, improves memory and enhances focus.

Outdoor/Active Toys:• Bikes • Water Tables• Trikes • Scooters• Tents • Sandboxes• Tunnels • Balls• Bubbles • Kites• Sports • Trampolines

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Pretend Play:Pretend play develops a child’s creativity and the ability to plan for the future. Pretend play begins in early childhood by make-believing toys and objects are real, and evolves into imagining things that do not exist like unicorns and monsters

Cognitive Skills: Imagination, Problem-Solving, Planning, Memory & Recall, Assimilation,

Symbolic Thinking

Emerging: Children are exploring the ability to imagine and make their cognitive creations come to life. Symbolic thinking (where one thing represents something else) is explored and expanded.

Communicative Skills: Speech & Language, Storytelling, Verbalizing, Vocalizing, Interpreting

Body Language & Facial Expressions, Singing, Acting

Emerging: Pretend play opens up a realm of new vocabulary possibilities like “sword” and “serpent,” along with the ability to build a narrative for the characters in the play scenario. Pretend play drives speech and language as kids explain their roles and animate their characters.

Social/Emotional Skills: Cooperative Play, Negotiation, Understanding, Empathy, Sharing, Self-

Expression, Peer Interaction

Emerging: Kids try on new roles imitating characters, assuming new identities and taking other’s perspectives into consideration.

Fun Fact: Pretend play & language involve the same ability to represent things symbolically (words are symbols). Both abilities emerge around the same time in child development.

Pretend Play Toys:• Stuffed Animals • Dolls• Cash Registers • Plush• Food/Cooking • Puppets• Action Figures • Kitchens• Doll Houses • Dress Up• Doctor Kits • Tool Sets

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Books:Books are windows to the world for children—reading is to the mind as exercise is to the body. Books encourage parent/child bonding, and reading aloud to children is the easiest way to enhance language and literacy development.

Cognitive Skills: Literacy, Comprehension Skills, Imagining, Focus, Memory & Recall,

Creativity, Letter & Word Recognition & Identification

Emerging: Kids’ brains are like sponges. Both listening to or reading books independently promotes literacy and builds a knowledge base in the mind. Reading develops focus and attention, and stimulates imagination.

Communicative Skills: Vocabulary, Receptive (input) Language, Expressive (output) Language,

Speech & Language, Phonetics, Writing, Storytelling

Emerging: The more words children hear or read, the more words children have in their mental storehouse/vocabulary to express their thoughts, feelings and perspectives.

Social/Emotional Skills: Empathy, Self-Esteem, Coping, Independence, Self-Awareness

Emerging: Books expose kids to the interior lives of others and provide insights to develop empathy. Stories lift kids from everyday life and allow them to depart from the world of schedules, stress and structure, and get lost in an adventure. Reading ability increases self-esteem and confidence.

Research Shows: One primary predictor of what educational level a child will achieve is the number of books within the home.

Play Tips:• Read poems & rhymes to help

build language • Talk about books after reading

to lock in the learning • Repeat books often, kids love

repetition

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Who has a say about the importance of play?

The United Nations

“...every child has the right to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts...”

American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Kenneth R. Ginsburg, M.D.

“Play is essential to the development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social and emotional well-being of children and youth.”

National Association for the Education of Young Children

“Research shows the links between play and foundational capacities such as memory, self-regulation, oral language abilities, social skills, and success in school.”

Temple University, Dr. Kathy Hirsch-Pasek

“If we are to prepare intelligent, socially skilled, creative thinkers for the global workplace of tomorrow, we must return play and playful learning to their rightful position in children’s lives.”

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Be a Play AdvocateThis Guide explains the child development potential of toys and provides information on play products that motivate kids to learn, explore and expand their potential. Play and toys are important elements of childhood—a way for kids to achieve new abilities, forge new skills and advance their bodies and minds.

Join the movement and make a difference in the lives of all the kids you care about …. Make Way for Play!

TOYS... ... motivate kids to focus and pay attention to details.

… assist kids in developing problem-solving, organizational and planning skills.

… promote resilience by encouraging kids to try again.

… help kids learn cause and effect and how the world works.

… turn on the lights in kids’ minds.

… stimulate their language and communication skills.

… aid kids in developing their own self-esteem, confidence and courage.

… teach empathy by allowing kids to explore the role of both winner and loser.

… support social/emotional growth by having group play experiences.

… most importantly, bring families and friends together to

have fun!

Combine the green words above to make a sentence about the importance of play.

P R E F E R E N C E S B I B P H S X O T

E R E A L O P O P E N N O R K N C C X K

C V R V S A U U V L T E O A O M I I V V

Y T I D I T C I Z E A C G I N E E I B O

S P J T D T T I R Z E Y T N O S N D O R

T X R O A P I P S S L C L P I H C Z U O

W N O E E C E N S Y U E P L T C E Q S B

D R A C T R I I G R H Y S A A L I D T J

Q A E F S E N N T O R P C S R A A I I P

K R T O N G N S U O C I C T E N S S F C

V T N P S I N D S M S W R I N O E C E C

F A S Z R O S N P U M B M C E I X O N E

L W R U C E E E M L H O D I G T P V E K

R O T O M S S O R G A N C T E O R E B S

T O D D L E R C D I V Y K Y R M E R T E

B O O K S E G D H L A I C O S E S Y O M

T N A I L L I R B O L G R C G A S A Y A

J F I N E M O T O R O P U Q F O I V S G

X F C V G L W N S T B L R G K W V J B Y

L A N O S R E P A R T N I H G K E A O V

ArtsBooksBenefits

Brain PlasticityBrilliant

CognitiveCommunicative

ConstructionDiscoveryEmotionalExpressive

Fine Motor Games

Gross MotorInfant

Interpersonal Intrapersonal

MusicOutdoorPhysical

PlayPreferences

PreschoolPretend Play

Processing Puzzles

ReceptiveRegeneration

ScienceSensory

SocialToddler

Toys

Make Way for Play Word Search

A Network of National Affiliates

Communicative:

Cognitive:

Sensory:

Physical:

A Network of National Affiliates

Social/Emotional:

Brilliant Benefits of ToysList your favorite toys

in the developmental categories below:

This Guide is dedicated to specialty toy store personnel everywhere who are committed

to the communities they serve; making them a healthy, happy, playful place to live.

ASTRA partnered with the National Lekotek Center to create this Guide on toys and play.

A Network of National Affiliates

American Specialty Toy Retailing Association432 N. Clark St., Suite 305, Chicago, IL 60654

Phone: (312) 222-0984www.astratoy.org

National Lekotek Center2001 North Clybourn Avenue, Suite 100, Chicago, IL 60614

Phone: (773) 528-5766www.lekotek.org