Goddard School preschoolers test toys

By Denise Dick | September 29, 2015 at 12:05a.m.

BOARDMAN

Owen Drzazynski, 4, sat with the new toy’s diagram in front of him, examining it like an aspiring engineer.

“I don’t think that’s it,” he told one of his classmates at the Goddard School as the other little boy picked up a piece of the toy.

“He has it,” Owen added.

The Goddard School is a testing site for new children’s toys. The toys are aimed toward children from infants through pre-kindergarten.

Each year, 50 Goddard schools across the country are picked for the week of testing. It’s the eighth year for the Goddard School Preschooler-Approved Toy Test.

“This is the first year that we’ve been chosen,” said Rachel Eisenman, director of the school at 7203 Bristolwood Drive.

The children play with the toys as teachers take photographs and complete forms about how the children perceived the toys. For younger children, the teachers gauge how long the toys maintain the children’s attention.

Ten children in the junior kindergarten class of 4- and 5-year-olds were divided into two groups, one for boys and one for girls.

The boys got a light-up toy that allows them to build one of 16 models and a Create a Maze, while the girls entertained themselves with a Gear Builders Starter Set.

Max Poklemba, 4, was so excited to start playing with the light-up toy that he clung to the box.

“Can we please open this toy?” he begged.

In Gear Builders, the girls snapped colorful round wheels together and then stacked them.

“This is awesome,” said Gabriella Sell, 5.

She made a garden with flowers.

“It’s a sunflower on top of a sunflower,” Gabriella said.

She was having such a good time, she starting singing to herself.

“You just twist, twist, twist it and then you pull it off,” she crooned.

Addysen Fairbanks, Adalynn Paquin and Sabrina Fedor-Simon, all 4, each built their own structures.

“I like when the gears turn,” Sabrina said.

Most of the boys focused on the light-up toy even though batteries weren’t included.

“It’s a rocket,” explained Evangelos Coutris, 4, pointing to the model the boys were trying to build.

Owen Daggett, Rex Papa and Bohden Paquin, all 4, each pitched in with their ideas for building the model, too.

“This is going to take a lot of work,” said teacher Kathryn Asimakopoulos.

“A lot of work,” echoed Owen.

“But we’re doing it,” Asimakopoulos said.

“Yep,” Owen said.