Tech toys are proving a triumph and are expected to be worth $11.3 billion by 2020, but Psychologist of Education Gavin Ucko is questioning whether these latest inventions are distracting children valuable learning experiences.

Drones, bots, and kid friendly smartphones are soaring to the top of children’s 2018 wish lists, while it would appear traditional games are dying out. You’ll probably find, that similar to drones and bots, that RC cars will be on children’s lists. You can read this guide to get an idea of what different RC cars there are out there if your child does ask for one! Still, it’s a shame traditional games are dying.

However, these traditional games are the building blocks for lateral thinking, problem solving and sequencing, which even the most up to date tech toys can’t offer.

Psychologist of Education and Puzzle Inventor at The Happy Puzzle Company, Gavin Ucko, gives his verdict, “It’s all about balance and parents should stimulate their children with a variety of toys and games, to give them the best chance of learning through play. Having a break from the tech in favour of games which require children to think in a logical way, will develop skills which give children more confidence in the classroom when faced with challenges.”

Christmas toys may have already been discarded but it is the traditional games which entertain entire families through generations.

Games like Monopoly, Pictionary and now 30 Cubed, a new collection of challenges using a unique set of coloured cubes, are the games which will encourage learning through play and help children develop all important skills.