High-Tech Toys

Jan. 22, 2001 -- Toy stores have been full of electronic kids’ toys for years, but experts are just beginning to research how these high-tech toys might affect their development.

Some toy industry experts say more than 75 percent of today's best-selling toys use some sort of electronics, but there are no studies that indicate how high-tech toys affect kids yet.

Good Morning America's Parenting Contributor, Ann Pleshette Murphy, says its not clear whether or not these toys that talk, blink and tell your kids what to do are harmful to a child's development. However, there is plenty of research for parents who want to find out what makes a good toy as well as a good educational experience.

Imagination Is Everything

There's no specific age parents should wait for their kid to hit before introducing tech-toys into their lives. Murphy says parents should be aware of their kids' abilities before completely embracing them. "You need to see that they're using their imagination," says Murphy. "Say for example, putting a pot on their head as if it were a hat."

Murphy says one noteworthy researcher has said that a good toy should be 90 percent child and 10 percent toy. In other words, the child needs to take initiative with the toy. Toys that perform completely on their own don't allow for that initiative to take place.

Balance the Box

Your child's toy box should contain a combination of very different toys, according to Murphy. The first kind of toy you should check for is the "high-touch toy." Blocks or Play-Doh will stimulate their senses in a way that high-tech toys may not.

Also include toys that encourage your child to run around, and go outdoors and get exercise. These would include electronic toys that tell them what to do, for example "let's do a dance."Parents should also make sure kids have toys that boost their social skills, and encourage them to cooperate or do things with other kids.

Murphy says that if your child becomes obsessed with one of their electronic toys, try putting it away, so he or she gets less electronic stimulation and more exercise.