In this day in age when TV has taken on a new role as a babysitter for stressed out parents, the role of classic toys and games has lessened over the years.  However, the benefits of allowing your children to play with these vintage toys and games is plentiful -- they improve creativity, they help to build social interaction, and they help your kids to learn, which is in stark contrast to many of the programs that are available on the TV airwaves today.

Here are our top five classic toys and games for kids.

Etch-A-Sketch

An Etch-a-Sketch is a great classic toy for kids of just about any age.  It helps teach them creativity and coordination while providing you with a few minutes of quiet time.  Even our two-year-old loves playing with the Etch-a-Sketch, and with no little parts to have to worry about, it's a great game for toddlers and older children as well.

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Checkers

Checkers are fun to play with, and they have a place in the home for the young and the old alike.  Not only is this vintage board game fun, it really helps to develop your child's thinking ability, and helps them to learn about cause and effect.  While younger children really will not get much out of checkers as a game, toddlers will enjoy their stack-ability and their roll-ability... more or less fun for all ages. 

Twister

Twister is an exceptionally fun pastime that can be enjoyed with kids alone, or with kids and their parents.  It's a relatively safe game, encourages a little bit of exercise through constant movement and laughter, and helps to build stronger relationships with those who are playing this game.

Candy Land

Candyland is a great game for younger kids.  In terms of classic board games, Candyland is probably the most toddler friendly of the lot.  It encourages social interaction, and is just great family-friendly fun.

Connect Four

Connect Four is a classic toy that encourages creative thinking.  In a way like checkers, it helps to develop cause-and-effect reasoning for simple actions, while providing a fun pastime for school-age children.  While Connect Four may not be suitable for preschoolers and younger, even teenagers have been known to enjoy this older, but nonetheless enjoyable, tabletop game.

Keeping your children, and even teenagers, entertained does not have to mean that you rely upon the television set to do so.  Classic toys and games, such as the five that we have outlined here, offer better benefits for your children, while still allowing you to escape and enjoy it a little bit of kids-free down time.

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Before there was Atari in our household, there was Milton Bradley. Did anyone else used to cheat at this game, or was that just me?