Parents' Choice: Top Toys for Kids Who Love Reading and Writing
September 04, 2019
Know a kid who loves reading and writing, or who aspires to be a novelist? Check out this list of seven Parents' Choice–recommended toys for kids, suited to ages 4 through 14 and beyond.
Great writers are often avid readers, imaginative creators, and enterprising wordsmiths.
And it's never too early for kids to hone their craft. Tina Dirmann-Bergin, a journalist and true crime author, related how she wrote her first book during elementary school: "When I was in the fifth grade, I had a teacher who gave me a journal and told me she’d 'really like it' if I wrote her a story a week. At the time, I considered it a punishment. No other kid in the class had such a task. But it wasn’t an assignment. Just a request. Well, I lived up to that request and at the end of the year, she hugged me tightly and told me I had just written my first book — a collection of short stories, which she asked if she could add to our class library collection. I was bursting with pride. That teacher picked up on a love of writing growing within me before I even saw it for myself."
Parents, too, can help even very young children cultivate a love of books. Here are seven enchanting toys that will encourage and inspire your future novelist.
1. Build & Imagine StoryWalls
What it is: Ocean-themed building sets that enable players to create structures with illustrated panels and magnetized accessories
Parents’ Choice Award®: Gold — “colorfully decorated and impeccably detailed"
Number of players: 1+
Recommended for lovers of: Reading, building
Ages: 4–8
Price: $49.00; prices vary by set (purchase)
2. Tiggly Words
What it is: Easy-to-handle vowel shapes that can be used to create words in three different fun, animated apps
Parents’ Choice Award®: Silver — "playful, charming, and instructive"
Number of players: 1+
Recommended for lovers of: Words, multisensory learning
Ages: 4–8
Price: $29.95 (purchase)
3. IlluStory Junior
What it is: Budget kit that enables kids to write and illustrate their own books
Parents’ Choice Award®: Gold — "encourages kids to be genuinely creative"
Number of players: 1+
Recommended for lovers of: Creative writing, drawing
Ages: 4–10
Price: $19.00 (purchase)
4. The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus
What it is: A nonfiction picture book that presents a vivid biography of the famed thesaurus creator Peter Mark Roget
Parents’ Choice Award®: Gold — “exceptional"
Recommended for lovers of: Words, illustrations, and interesting life stories
Ages: 7+
Price: $17.50 (purchase)
5. Play on Words
What it is: A word card game that allows you to make anagrams as you play
Parents’ Choice Award®: Silver — “a clever, fun-to-play, mind-expanding game"
Number of players: 1–4 (comes in starter, full-deck, solitaire, rummy, and cribbage versions)
Recommended for lovers of: Word games, puns, anagrams
Ages: 8+
Price: $13.99 (purchase)
6. Compound It All!
What it is: Compound word–building card game
Parents’ Choice Award®: Recommended — “unquestionably compounding"
Number of players: 2+
Recommended for lovers of: Words, wordplay, and word-building
Ages: 9+
Price: $29.95 (purchase{: target=“_blank" rel="nofollow" })
7. Cicada
What it is: A literary arts publication featuring a wide range of genres by emerging writers and artists
Parents’ Choice Award®: Gold — “offers teens and adults fertile creative ground"
Recommended for lovers of: Poetry, journals, fiction, art, and graphic novels
Ages: 14+
Price: $3.95 (purchase)
If you're looking for your child's next great read, check out the winners of the Parents' Choice Book Awards®.
To discover other great educational toys for kids with a variety of interests, check out all nine gift guides from Noodle and Parents' Choice®.
