2 Must Have Toys for Children Ages 5 and Older

As a parent of 3 children, I can recommend these 2 toys for maximum enjoyment for both you and your child. A two wheel bicycle is a must have toy for Children 5 years old or older. This may sound like an obvious choice, but many children do not have bikes to ride. Along with the bicycle, please include a helmet for them to wear as safety is the highest concern. You can make a bicycle to be custom for your child for just a few bucks. You can buy spray paint for a few bucks to make their bike a custom color. Let them put stickers on it to make it their own. This must have toy increases a childs coordination and balance as well as teach them to observe their surroundings while doing a separate task. Learning to ride a two wheeler can be frustrating for a child if the person teaching them does not help with a few simple tips. The first tip is to give them confidence and let them know that they can do it. Let them know that they may fall down, but to keep getting going after you give them some attention and comfort if they get a little scrape. Next, when you start to train them, have them learn to ride in grass so if they fall down they will be less likely to get hurt. A very small incline can help with their momentum and balance. As far as cost of a bike, it can get expensive when you account for how fast children grow. So if a new bike every year is out of your price range, then consider buying a used bike at a local garage sale or pawn shop. Many people think that pawn shops are shady places, but they often have great deals on many perfectly fine items, plus, pawn shops usually will negotiate a lower price as they deal in cash.The next must have toy for a child age 5 or older is a Leapster made by Leap Frog. Priced at around $60 these toys are very educational, fun, and easy to use. As a parent, I know that it is tempting to just let you child play with any toy they want to buy you some time and patience, but it is important that they toy be educational to advance their minds. At the age of 5 years old, their minds are like sponges soaking up information so be sure to fill that sponge with good stuff to benefit them in their life. Leapsters have a removable cartridge that has different games on it. You can buy more cartridges at any Wal-mart for between $10 and $30. Or you can buy online from great reputable stores with a large selection such as the oxygentv.com Amazon store in he "Toys" catagory. The game cartridges are labeled for age appropriate content so your child can easily understand the directions and complete the tasks given for maximum fun for the child. They think they are playing a fun game and they don't even realize that they are learning at the same time. Leapster is definitely a must have toy for ages 5 and older.