Parenting expert, Dr Justin Coulson shares his top picks from Big W’s Toy Mania Sale
PLUS he discusses how they aid your child’s development.
Ahead of the Big W’s highly anticipated annual Toy Mania Sale, Bounty Parents spoke with Parenting Expert, Dr Justin Coulson about just what kind of toys we should be keeping our eye out for.
“When we buy toys for our children, we look for toys that will be best for their development, but that aren’t specifically targeted at ‘education’,” says Dr Justin.
“Instead, we want them to help them develop almost by accident while they’re having fun. And we definitely subscribe to a ‘basic is best’ philosophy!”
He’s trawled the pages of the sale catalogue and come up with the best buys for Aussie parents in this year’s sale which we’re sharing for you in the gallery below …
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Dr Justin Coulson is one of Australia’s most trusted parenting experts, author of 6 books on raising happy families, and the father of 6 daughters.
Dr Justin Coulson’s top 5 picks from the big W Toy Mania Sale:
LEGO (or any of the big plastic building blocks if your children are younger):
LEGO is so open-ended. While there are specific things for children to build if they follow the instructions, my kids end up with one big jumble of lego pieces, and they start to build whatever they want.
It encourages imagination and creativity as well as fine motor skills.
Play Doh:
Once again we have an open-ended, imaginative toy that encourages creative expression.
Children love to play with dough – it’s so tactile. And let’s face it, every parent loves to “eat” a pretend play-doh salad, pie, or burger.
Cubby house and Monkey Bars:
Outdoor play is vital for children’s wellbeing.
More outside “green time” and less screen time is always a winner.
The kids develop physical strength, and these kinds of “toys” not only build physical wellbeing, but they also encourage positive social interaction.
Sylvanian Families (or the Bluey playset – or even the Toy Story or Frozen characters):
Playing with dolls, or characters (or similar character-based toys) gives children the opportunities to engage in social interaction even when they’re NOT with friends.
Fisher Price toys (Stacking Rings etc):
For younger children these are perfect for playing.
They develop gross motor skills. They discover colours. And they can learn about size, shape, and colour.
The Fisher Price toys often have other tactile and auditory options that make them full of surprises and discovery.
Big W’s Toy Mania Sale begins online on June 16 and in-store on June 18 and ends July 15.
Even parenting experts are kids at heart, which Dr Justin proves with his one last recommendation …
“As a bonus, I love the Nerf N-strike elite… because what kid doesn’t love the idea of totally dominating the nerf war? And it’s a breathtaking price!”
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