The team at educational toy company Click-A-Brick says a new list of non-toy items that every child should have, written by blogger Katherine Martinko and appearing on the Treehugger.com site, is a refreshing departure from the usual must-have toy lists that usually start popping up around this time of year. Martinko draws from her own childhood memories and says to give a child a fulfilling childhood with, parents should give them items that will get them imagining and playing even when they’re away from their toy box. A map of...

The team at educational toy company Click-A-Brick says the results of a recent survey done for the British Toy and Hobby Association’s Make Time 2 Play campaign are discouraging. The survey questioned 2,000 British parents about their perception of play and found that: one third say their children's idea of play is using recreational technology over traditional play;seven in ten parents admit to choosing to give their child a screen entertainment based activity over traditional play;20 percent believe too much traditional or outdoor play could impact their children’s behavior and...

The team at Click-A-Brick say they are impressed by the ingenuity shown by building block toy rental companies, saying they cater to a unique market of customers who want to experience the toys without having to commit to buying them. One new site that has recently launched in the United Kingdom, BuildurBricks, allows customers to rent the latest Lego sets for about £10 or £25 per month depending on the size of the set. They come with the original instructions and are sanitized between rentals. Co-founder of BuildurBricks, Ash Jey,...

The team at Click-A-Brick are amazed at the simple ingenuity shown by EverBlocks; an interlocking, modular building block meant for making adult-sized structures; saying the concept shows just how versatile this traditional toy is. Modeled after Legos, the interlocking blocks come in four different sizes, a variety of colors and can be used to build furniture, walls, steps, columns, entire rooms and more according to the EverBlocks website. Founded by Arnon Rosan, the company sells and rents the blocks globally and even has applications for disaster relief and military operations...

A new survey that finds the top 10 earning degrees are all related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) has gotten the nod of approval from, the team at building toy company Click-A-Brick, who says it nicely illustrates the importance of learning these skills. Compiled by compensation consulting company PayScale, the top 10 bachelor’s degrees for career earnings are: Petroleum EngineeringChemical EngineeringElectrical EngineeringMaterials Science and EngineeringAerospace EngineeringComputer EngineeringPhysicsApplied MathematicsComputer ScienceNuclear Engineering PayScale collected data from degreed workers in the United States (excluding advanced degrees) and analyzed both starting and...

The team at learning toy company Click-A-Brick have heaped praise on a Kickstarter initiative that is meant to introduce more diversity into the toy aisle by creating dolls of girls with different ethnic backgrounds. In addition to the dolls having varied backgrounds, they will be used to teach girls of color proper hair care, as there are few toys on the market that represent colored hair styles. Started by college student Yelitsa Jean-Charles, Healthy Roots aims to make and distribute dolls of four girls of color who have different backgrounds...

Corporate play-time encompasses play-based practices and attitudes in organizations. The implementation of these practices can create innovative and problem solving work teams. The benefits of corporate playtime are supported by The National Institute for Play, a nonprofit that focuses on expanding scientific knowledge of human play and the benefits of play to public life. Active play is integral in the accomplishments of successful individuals. Humans are uniquely designed by nature to enjoy and participate in play throughout their life. Play enables individuals and organizations to harness the power of play...

Educational toy company Click-A-Brick says the opening of the STEM3 Academy in Los Angeles last month fills a void in the education system by giving students with autism spectrum disorder, learning disabilities, ADHD, developmental delays, abuse and emotional problems a chance to study science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) skills in an environment that will cater to their unique ways of learning. According to the STEM3 Academy’s website, approximately 20 percent of the population has a social or learning difference such as dyslexia, ADHD or autism while as many as...

The Woodbury School is a preschool and kindergarten program associated with The Strong museum. It offers a an early kindergarten program for four- and five-year-old children. It also provides a preschool program for three- and four-year-old children. The Strong's Woodbury School is based on the Reggio Emilia approach. It integrates an emergent curriculum approach that encourages teachers and students to work together to plan the curriculum and create projects. Children delve deeply into topics that fascinate them, guided by teachers who facilitate their explorations. The overall goal is to stimulate...

A new toy buying guide will be extremely helpful to parents who want to purchase educational toys for their children, the team at Click-A-Brick says. The new guide, published by the bestofneworleans.com site and entitled “The best toys to engage your child’s imagination at any age and where to find them in New Orleans,” includes the latest recommendations from both the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the American Academy of Pediatrics. The new guide lists nine criteria that a toy should meet to be considered a...