Choosing children’s toys next ‘Downtown Third Thursdays’ topic

GREEN BAY — Just in time for the holidays, the next “Downtown Third Thursdays” lecture series will feature a discussion on choosing the best toys for toddler development.

The discussion, led by University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Prof. Jennifer Zapf, is set for noon to 12:45 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 18, at the Baylake Bank City Center, 301 N. Adams St., Suite 110, in downtown Green Bay. The event is free and open to the public.

Advance registration is required. Registration is available online at http://www.uwgb.edu/downtown/.

With many toys to choose from when deciding on the perfect gift for a young child, it is easy to get overwhelmed. Whether you are looking for toys that will encourage the creative side in him or toys that will further the athletic abilities in her, there is no shortage of valuable products on the market.

How do you decide which toy will provide the most fun while also providing valuable experiences that will help foster development? Zapf will answer this question and others by briefly reviewing the literature on the developing child (infants to age 12) and reviewing toys that are best suited to enhance young children’s social, physical and cognitive development.

Zapf teaches “Psychology of Cognitive Processes” and “Experimental Psychology” at UW-Green Bay. Her research interests include children’s language acquisition and cognitive development, children’s comprehension and production of the English plural and the role of number concepts in children’s language learning.

The Downtown Third Thursdays lecture series is sponsored by the UW-Green Bay Office of the Chancellor, the UW-Green Bay Alumni Association, Downtown Green Bay, Inc., Olde Main Street, Inc., and On Broadway, Inc., in collaboration with UW-Green Bay Outreach and Adult Access.

For more information and upcoming events, visit: http://www.uwgb.edu/downtown/.

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