Video:Best Educational Toys for Kids 5 to 7

Transcript:Best Educational Toys for Kids 5 to 7

Hi, I'm Anne Marie Lusby for About.com. Choosing toys that are both fun and educational for kids aged 5-7 can be a hassle. How do you know what's best? Which ones will keep the kids in your life not just busy, but inspired? Here are a few at the top of the list.

Lego and Trio Sets Are Great Educational Toys for Kids 5-7

Everyone's heard of Lego, but Fisher-Price has the edge on blocks for children aged five to seven. Their Trio Building Playsets snap together and come apart easily, while the many different sets offer endless possibilities. Each set comes with detailed, easy to read instructions about how to build different structures.

The Construction Crew set, for example, includes the pieces to make a crane. But the fun doesn’t stop there. Other ideas and extra pieces are also included, so there's no limit to what can be built but the power of imagination.

My Takealong Puppet Theater Is a Good Educational Toy for Kids Ages 5-7

Speaking of imagination, the Playmobil My Takealong Puppet Theater offers endless hours of make-believe fun. Different puppet actors, sets, costumes, and props allow kids to tell any story they want, all inside a convenient carrying case that opens into a theater stage. It even comes with a sound effects machine.

Toys that foster free play are the most rewarding, and Playmobil is one of the best. It’ll have your kids rehearsing for hours before putting on their first show. An excellent gift for the little Spielberg or Shakespeare in your life.

Crayola Model Magic Sets Are Also Good Educational Toys for Kids 5-7

And for a little Picasso, there’s the Crayola Model Magic Presto Dots to the Max Kit. It comes with three large and three small "creature frames," which kids layer dough-like clay onto in creative ways. Tools to cut the dough are also included, allowing kids to make creatures as wild or simple as they want.

And there's no mess to clean up after. Presto dough only sticks to itself, not tables, floors or fingers. Like Play-Doh, it does dry out, so be careful how you store it, or if you fall in love with one of your child’s creations, just let it harden.

Play-Doh Is a Classic Educational Toy for Kids 5-7

On that note, Play-Doh is one of the most famous toys in history, and it keeps getting better! Now there’s the Play-Doh Mega Fun Factory, a battery operated conveyer belt, shape-cutting toy that mirrors the workings of a real factory.

Included are six cans of Play-Doh and the tools to make seventeen different shapes. Kids can cut any number of combinations, arrange them together, let them dry, or smash them back in the can for next time.

Web Runner R/C Spider Is a Fun Educational Toy for Kids 5-7

If the kids in your life like electronics and bugs, the Web Runner R/C Spider can’t be beat. Its easy to use controls let kids run the spider over any surface, and I mean any -- even up the walls and upside-down on the ceiling. Because its eyes light up when it walks, it's even scarier in the dark.

Conveniently, the controller doubles as a charger for the spider's batteries, which recharge quickly for hours of frightful, gravity-defying fun. This great toy will work wonders for your child's hand eye coordination as he or she explores with it.

Being a kid means playing the day away, so be sure to give the kids in your life toys that aren't just a good time, but inspiring and educational too. You never know, you just might have as much fun as they do.

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