Essay Example on Exploring Target Toy Section with My Nephew

1) Describe the setting in which you completed this observation. Include where, when, and how many minutes you observed. (Take your time…remember, you need a total of 10 hours of observation for the course).

I did my field observation in a local Target store with the help of my little nephew. I brought him along because he is enthusiastic about toys and could provide useful insights about them to make my work easier. We spent about 2 hours wandering through the entire toy section, reading, and discussing various types of toys. Since we went on Thursday morning, there were not many people in the store. The management had also put measures to limit the number of people present at a particular time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which made it even less busy. Therefore, my nephew and I were able to spend quality time with minimal disruptions. My target group was 9 to 12 years old children, so I focused on sections for the concrete and formal operations stages. I spent most of the time looking at board games, puzzles, and blocks. After two hours, I had settled on four toys to make up my toy box.

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2) Describe the cognitive characteristics that you expect to find among the children in your chosen group.

I chose the age group of 9 to 12 years old. It is a combination of both concrete and formal operation stages, according to Piaget. I expect children in this age group to be able to think intuitively and use perception to solve problems. Moreover, they should represent objects and events around them using symbolic schemas, such as drawing and language, as well as participate in pretend play. This group also ought to mentally reverse operations and manipulate objects and events around them. I hope that the children I chose can approach problems methodically and strategically.

3) Describe the four toys that you selected for your toy box.

One of the toys I chose was the Jenga game. It is a classic build-and-topple game consisting of 54 pieces of wooden blocks. The one I saw in Target comes with a stacking sleeve to help players build a tower by stacking blocks. With this game, the key idea is to create the tallest tower possible by pulling out Jenga blocks from the bottom and placing them on top. The first steps are easy, but it gets harder with time as the player pulls blocks, which reduces the stability of the tower. Children can play with this toy alone or with friends.

The other item I selected for my toy box is the Rubik’s cube. It is appropriate for children aged eight years and above and only requires one player. The 3 x 3 cube that I selected consists of 18 smaller cubes that are color-coded. With this toy, a player has to twist the pieces until all colors are on the same side. The 3 x 3 Rubik’s Cube is a puzzle with many combinations but only one solution. Each step involves sliding and twisting the pieces to move a particular square, hoping to form one solid color on each side.

My third toy was a board game called Distraction. It is appropriate for ages eight above and requires two or more people to play. The toy comes with two decks of cards, the first one consisting of 54 round number cards and the other 50 rectangular cards each with two distraction questions. One at a time, players go around taking cards from a stack and recite the all previous and current numbers with each pick. Any person who draws a distraction card has to answer quirky questions on it before repeating the number sequence. For instance, one can answer if he or she would instead step on a crab or kiss a jellyfish. Those who recite the incorrect series have to collect new cards. The winner is the players who run out of cards.

The last item on my toy list will be a board game called Monopoly. It consists of a foldable game-board with numbered boxes and various properties and is suitable for children aged eight years and above. In this game, players have to be two or more. One rolls a dice and moves along the board according to the numbers displayed claiming rewards, buying, and selling properties such as houses along the way. Monopoly involves making financial and investment decisions with banknotes, just like one would in real life. In this game, players can collect rent from people who land on their properties. The game ends when one player runs out of money. The winner is the person with the most money or highest-valued properties.

4) Analyze the toys for their effectiveness at stimulating cognitive development for the children in your group. Discuss specific cognitive skills that will be developed by each toy, and how that toy will help to develop that/those skills.

Jenga stimulates the development of problem-solving skills and fine motor control. This game challenges the ability to pull out a block from the bottom of the tower and placing it on top while ensuring it does not tumble down. During this time, players have to be steady, precise, and concentrate fully on the task. They have to make challenging decisions about the effect of pulling out a particular block, which teaches children to solve problems by looking at the whole picture. Further, Jenga allows honing of the skills of being in control of one’s actions and avoiding impulse decisions by considering the consequences.

Rubik’s cube can improve a child’s cognitive ability by stimulating creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Tackling the puzzle requires deep concentration, focus, and the application of mental abilities. One has to think critically to determine the best approach to solve the Rubik’s cube. Using trial-and-error, children toggle between various possibilities, learning the importance of every move, and being systematic. The entire process develops a clear understanding of how to approach problems. Furthermore, twisting the cube improves hand-eye coordination, reflexes, and agility.

Distraction promotes the development of memory among children. The game works on the ability to recall in the presence of diversions. It prompts players to memorize a sequence of numbers and recite it, which is an excellent way to strengthen memory. Furthermore, playing Distraction improves word and language and promotes flexible thinking.

Monopoly promotes cognitive development by stimulating decision-making skills. In the game, children decide whether to buy or sell specific properties, the amount of rent to charge, or whether to borrow a loan. Losing or gaining rewards teaches them to avoid some kinds of decisions, and the importance of thinking and planning before doing some things. In addition, Monopoly involves playing pretend, which imagination skills.

5) Reflection: Describe your reactions to this observation by evaluating the experience and providing a value judgment. What was good or bad about this observation experience for you?

It was exciting to discover that so many toys can promote cognitive development in children. Before this exercise, I had not thought that I would use toys in early childhood education. I now view them differently and pay more attention to their abilities to help children grow and learn other than have a good time. Most of the toys I observed had the appropriate age level marked on the box and potential benefits to a child, which I found fascinating. During the exercise, I saw a mother buy the Distraction game for her Eight-year-old son, and I stroke a conversation with her to find out why she chose that particular toy. She told me that her son was performing poorly in school, especially in subjects that required him to memorize things. At that age, he could not recite the multiplication table without making a mistake. The mother told me that the teacher had recommended Distraction to help improve the boy’s memory, which inspired me to it as part of my toy box.

Conclusion: How can this observation experience inform or impact you today as a student, parent, or employee? Looking ahead, what specific cognitive skills will you need to develop in your future students or clients, and what types of toys or activities could you provide for them to stimulate that development?

This observation exposed me to a wide range of possible ways to use toys. It made me appreciate the power these tools could have on children and how I can exploit it as an early childhood education teacher to promote different forms of development for my students. In the future, I would like my students to have critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Jenga blocks and the Rubik’s cube are useful for this purpose. They also promote precision, concentration, and being in control of one’s actions. I would also like my students to have a sharp memory and the ability to recall things, which I can stimulate using Distraction game. Furthermore, decision-making is a vital skill for children. Monopoly can help boost it.