Being successful in school starts at home: Toys that will help your kids in the classroom



MILWAUKEE -- They're super fun -- and build skills essential to classroom success. Speech language pathologist and toy expert, Sherry Artemenko, joins Real Milwaukee with some toys kids and parents will love.

Silly Street Character Builders by Mindware, 4 years and up, ($29.99)
• Little actors stretch their story telling skills, learn elements of a story.
• Little animals with different facial expressions front and back/ outfits
• Add accessories like scarf, cape, apron, camera or canteen
• Choose setting from treehouse, city, jungle, bedroom, or cafe
• Express their emotions through animal characters...can better relate to others and regulate their own emotions

Crayola Ultimate Light Board, 6 and up, ($24.99)
• Kids love to draw so they can create art, write message, trace picture
• Can help strengthen little hands for hand writing
• Turn on light watch the magic...LED`s built into frame make colors glow

Fire Station by Hape, 3 years and up, ($99.99)
• Kids fascinated with fire trucks so perfect scenario to get their story start
• Heliport, basketball court, garage, office, pole to slide down.
• Accessories to expand the story: hose, computer desk, dog, fire hydrant
• Ring alarm bell, come down the pole, open the garage doors for quick exit
• Several kids can play at once to increase language learning, collaborative

Blank Slate by USAopoly, 8 years and up, ($24.99)
• Simple directions to this fill-in-the-blank fun
• Takes some critical thinking, word association and a dab of EQ

Leapstart 3D Learning System by Leap Frog, 2-7 years old, ($49.99)
• Added new feature to its amazing interactive learning system
• Pop up screen with 3D animation
• Kids learn through many modalities: auditory, visual, tactile

Touch & Discover Sensory Turtle by VTech, 3 months and up, ($19.99)
• VTech`s new baby products designed for enriched play through discovery
• So much to explore and discover on this turtle
• Maximum opportunity for parents to describe actions and parts
• Colors, textures patterns, Peek-a-boo with legs and head hiding
• Opposites: push/pull, long/short, in/out
• Ball for catch, rolling grabbing
• Yellow button: vocabulary, playful rhyming songs, sing-a-long fun

Sharingland Cardboard Playhouse Kits, All ages, ($99)