There are times, however, when you have to break your personal rules.
My 3-year-old had a chance to play with the Quadrino Arranging Game (pictured at left) today and I'm convinced it's one of the best educational products for preschoolers.
The Quadrino is a 9-inch by 9-inch square filled with colored "tiles" that can be assembled into several different patterns. There are six examples on the back of the box to help guide kids as they work to complete a puzzle.
It's targeted at kids in the two to four age bracket but I think two is a little young for actually putting the puzzles together. And I could easily see a toddler mouthing the smaller red pieces. But for the preschool and up crowd? It's awesome. My preschooler played with it for an hour (which seemed like three hours) and was fully engaged while simply trying to come up with his own patterns. I love that it's not a typical puzzle and let's kids use their imaginations versus create a perfect picture based on a predetermined design.
My almost 7-year-old son spent some time putting the puzzles together and I could tell he was having fun. As far as "toys" go, it's always a plus when you know that it has longevity in your house and your kids will dig it for more than two days.
Another perk is that the Quadrino makes for a nice decorative touch in a room. I could easily see this on a play table or bookshelf adding lots of color to a kid's room (read: easy storage).
The Quadrino is made of beech wood (yay for no plastic or lead!) and is very sturdy. It seems pricey at US$44 but again, it's one of those products that you're going to be keeping for a long time.
You can find it here.
What are some of your favorite go-to ideas when you have to buy a gift for a preschooler?
