Christmas is right around the corner and toy stores are gearing up for the rush. But before you pull out your wallet, you might want to take a look at some of those toys "That Teach."

News Specialist Kelly Day has been doing some research, and joins us with a look at educational toys.

Kids need toys. In fact, they play a much larger roll in your child's developement than you may think. And chosing the right ones will help you crack "The Toy Story."

Preschoolers know what they want. They're ready to pick out their own toys. But parents should make sure the toys add to their child's development.

PRESCHOOL - 2 - 5 YRS.
The preschool phase stretches from two to five years of age. Kids are ready for larger toys - to practice large motor skills--bikes, trucks, and dolls quickly become favorites.

CINDY BERG: ((WE ALSO KNOW THEY SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN MAKE BELIEVE PLAY WE KNOW THAT THAT IS CRITICAL FOR YOUNG CHILDREN IN ORDER TO DEVELOPE AN IDEA OF ROLLS AND RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN PEOPLE.))

That's why preschoolers can play with doll houses and kitchen sets for hours. They like to imitate mom and dad and other people in the community. This is also the age when boys and girls begin to like different toys.

Boys may spend hours in make believe play with dump trucks in the sand and girls may play house. Preschoolers also need to sharpen their fine motor skills--coloring books, tinker toys, and simple art activities are great. And once again - don't forget books.

((PARENTS WILL SAY MY CHILD ISN'T READING, THEY'RE JUST REPEATING WHAT I SAY, BUT THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL. SO PRESCHOOLERS MAY LIKE THE SAME BOOK READ TIME AND TIME AGAIN.. AND WE KNOW THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL FOR EARLY READING.))

ELEMENTARY - 5 YEARS AND UP
Books and reading are even more important to elementary age children - 5 years and up. Reasoning skills and more complex thought processes are the focus at this age. Games are the best tool. Look for junior editions of many popular games like boggle.. scrabble.. and monopoly. More complex art projects and chemistry sets also help children practice for school and homework.

Finally - simple computer games prepare children for the technology age and many parents find their kids can actually teach them a thing or two about computers.

And this time of year it's tempting to buy A LOT of toys. But experts say children don't need a large number of toys. In fact, if you hide some of them for a couple of months and then rotate the toys, your children won't loose interest so quickly.