How to Select a Toy for your Child
Have you ever walked into a toy store, looked at the wall-to-wall shelves, brimming with toys and wondered, “Where do I start???” This was my experience six years ago when I went to purchase a first birthday gift for my nephew. Sure, I didn’t have any children of my own at the time, but I was a third grade teacher so I should have been able to sort through some of the bright colored boxes, building sets, etc. to find that perfect gift, but I couldn’t.
Perhaps that’s why, a year later when I had my own child, I decided to become an Educational Consultant with a toy company. Well no, that wasn’t the reason, but I have to say, my days of being overwhelmed in the toy store are certainly over. Working a home business with an educational toy company has taught me a ton about what to look for in a good toy. My intention is to pass on some of this wisdom to you, so your children can make the most of this amazing time in their lives. So they may play, learn, and enjoy time with YOU!
Babies:
Certainly your baby’s favorite toy is you. They love to look at your face and will imitate your expressions or the sounds you make. Playing and socializing with your baby helps your little one feel loved, safe, and happy.
Toys to enhance their learning at this early stage are toys that stimulate the five senses. When picking a baby toy ask these questions:
This last question is an important question these days as news looms from the media about toxins in plastics. It is not as easy as staying away from merchandise made in particular countries. Your best bet is to know and have confidence in the company selling the product. I cannot comment on other toy companies, as I am no expert. I can tell you how our company handles this issue (and has handled it since it began 30 years ago). Our company hires an independent laboratory to test the toys coming into our line. They specifically look for lead and other hazardous materials like phthalates. Babies will mouth their toys (it’s what they do). As a Mom of three children, one of them being only ten months old, I feel so much better knowing what my baby has in her mouth is SAFE.
Preschoolers:
If you have a three year old, then you’ll likely understand why I want to scream and beat my head against the wall at times. Was it the time a mystery item was flushed and plugged the toilet? Or was it when a half a jug of milk got spilled underneath my refrigerator (I know, I know, he just wanted a drink and was independently getting one, I applaud this but the milk!! Ugh!).
Preschool children are a bundle of energy that go, go, go until they finally drop at the end of day. The early preschooler needs toys without rules (do you notice most don’t go by the rules anyway?). These are open-ended toys, which, left to the imagination, and intention of the child, can do anything. For example, with a set of different colored/shaped bugs kids will pretend play with them, sort them, count them, hide and seek with them, make bug soup with them, and scare their Mom with them… the ways to learn and play are endless.
Older preschoolers (age 4+) suddenly want to know rules and seem to be more eager to go by them. This is a lovely stage because now you can start playing games with them. So many skills are learned just from playing games, like how to take turns, counting, tracking where the playing pieces go, how to be a good winner (or loser).
School-aged children:
This age group is probably my favorite. It’s no wonder I’ve spent ten years teaching elementary school. One thing that struck me, especially in my first few years of teaching is, how my students loved to play. Whatever subject I was teaching, if I made some sort of game out of it, even the most reluctant learner was engaged and somehow forgot they were learning, because they were just having so much FUN.
I also observed a behavior cycle which made it very clear to me it was imperative “play” and “learning” go hand-in-hand. Think about the last time you learned something new, maybe it was in conversation with someone or a course you took. Perhaps you need to think back to grade school when you learned to read, or figured out a really difficult math problem. How did it feel? You probably said, “Ahhhh, I get it!” And it felt good, didn’t it? We all love this feeling and kids even more so because they are still figuring out their potential (which is endless of course!).
This is why when choosing a product or game for this age group, I always recommend picking one where there is deliberate learning going on. There are Math games to challenge your spatial relationship skills, math operation skills, or time-telling skills. There are Language games, which will enhance your vocabulary, have you recall/remember trivia, etc. Yes, if it is fun, they’ll learn. But guess what? When they learn, they will have fun. What a confidence boost for your child!
There’s one more important element I’d like to share with you, when choosing a toy, whether it’s for your baby, preschooler or grade-school child. Take the time and effort to join them in the fun and learning. As a school teacher, I could see the students who craved my attention (they followed me wherever I was in the room!). This new generation needs our guidance so they can become tomorrow’s confident youth and eventually independent adults. Even for a short time every week, set some time aside and play with your child. It’s the best investment you’ll ever make!
For more tips on the right toy for your child visit Carmen at Discovery Toys.
