LEARNING TEAMWORK AT AN EARLY |
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(NAPSI)-It's considered a milestone in child development when little ones transition from doing their own thing--even in the company of other children, a stage known as "parallel play"--to actually sharing and interacting with others as part of their play. Growing out of this development is the concept of teamwork, when the children work together to achieve a common goal. For parents, fostering the notion of teamwork starts at home. That's because there are many ways that even very young children can contribute to household tasks, thereby gaining a sense of pride and accomplishment, knowing that they've helped make something happen. For instance, children should be given specific duties--their jobs in the overall scheme of keeping the household running. Whether it's setting the table for meals, feeding pets or sorting items for recycling, children are able to take their responsibility and transfer it to their play. Handy Manny Since its debut on Disney Channel in September 2006, "Handy Manny" has been serving up life lessons and the value of teamwork for kids to accomplish goals in work and play. The bilingual Manny Garcia and his eclectic group of talking tools work together to help neighbors fix things and show preschoolers how to conquer everyday problems. Now Disney and Fisher-Price are incorporating tool-time play into a complete collection of fun, interactive toys that capture the fun of fix-it play and bring Manny and his world to life--allowing children to put teamwork and imagination into play while working on handy projects. For example, the 2-in-1 Transforming Tool Truck is equipped with four tools from the show and tons of things to fix--including a fan, toaster and clock. Plus, the big red truck transforms into a tool bench for two toys in one. Bilingual phrases, sound effects and fix-it jobs keep kids entertained. And if kids have trouble "fixing a job," they can look at realistic blueprints that show how to make the repairs. With the Talking Tool Box, kids can pretend they are Manny and interact with his tool friends. The tool box is equipped with all seven tools (Pat, Turner, Dusty, Stretch, Felipe, Squeeze and Rusty), each with his patented tool phrase and smiling face. When kids press the "Manny" button on the toolbox, the tools come to life, jumping up and down while kids sing along to "Hop Up, Jump In" from the TV show. To learn more, visit the Web site at www.fisher-price.com. A new line of talking tools can help children work through "fix-it" problems and learn the concept of teamwork. |
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