The first time you look through the toy department you may be struck by how much more expensive toys are today than you remembered. Toys don’t have to be expensive, though. And with toys, expense has nothing to do with quality. We’ve all heard the story about the parents who bought their child an expensive toy, and all the child wanted to do was play with the box.

A good toy for one child isn’t necessarily a good toy for another child. When you purchase a toy, you need to consider your child’s personality, likes, and dislikes. Generally speaking, a good toy should challenge a child at his level of development. If it’s too sophisticated, it frustrates the child; if it’s too simple, it bores the child. So it’s important to observe the age ranges on packages.

A good toy requires the child to actively play with it; if the toy does the playing, it won’t interest the child for very long.

Infants: Birth to 1 Year

The major safety concern during this period is choking and suffocation.

Make sure stuffed toys are nonflammable, non-toxic, and washable. Stuffed animals that are all one piece are best; any limbs should be securely attached. Features should be painted or embroidered, and the toy should not have embellishments, such as glass eyes or whiskers, children can pull off and swallow. Small, lightweight toys are easier for infants to hold and cuddle.

Mobiles help develop a baby’s ability to focus attention on objects, but they are meant to be looked at only — not handled. Once your child is old enough to reach up and grab the mobile (usually at about four to five months), remove it.

Rattles and teething rings must be unbreakable and washable, have no loose parts, and have rounded stems. No part of a rattle should be small enough to fit in a baby’s mouth. To test this, draw an oval that is 1 3/8 inches x 2 inches on a piece of paper and cut it out. If the rattle or any part of it can pass through the hole to a depth of 1 3/16 inches or more, the rattle could choke your child. You can purchase rattles in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. Be sure the size and weight are compatible with your child’s ability to grasp it in one hand.

Crib and playpen exercisers usually stretch across the crib or playpen and enhance pulling and grasping. Remove them before babies are big enough to use them to pull themselves up.

Special balls that make noise and have moving pieces inside provide motor, visual, and aural stimulation and help develop eye movement, crawling, and gross motor skills. Be sure your child cannot remove the moving pieces from the ball.

Mirrors delight infants. But make sure they are unbreakable, have no sharp edges, are light enough for your baby to pick up, and are large enough not to be swallowed.

Toddlers: 12 to 18 Months

At this point, babies can stand and sit but may not yet walk by themselves. They enjoy moving objects, such as push-pull toys that make sounds, toys that open and close and involve turning knobs and dials, and peek-a-boo games.

At this age, children enjoy blocks, but be sure to get large blocks that have no sharp corners. Just a few blocks will suffice; too many confuse a baby. Blocks covered with soft fabric and light, foam-filled vinyl blocks are ideal.

Sorting toys teach children about color and size and enhance manual dexterity, but make sure they are unbreakable and pieces are too large for your child to swallow.

Riding toys are dangerous for children who can’t yet walk. But children who can walk enjoy them.

Make sure your child can climb on and off the toy easily and maneuver it alone. Also make sure it has no sharp edges.

Push-pull toys are great for kids who are already walking, too. Make sure the ends of the handles are covered with large safety balls and all the parts are unbreakable.

Toddlers: 18 to 24 Months

Children at this age are talking and are interested in learning about size and placement.

Large blocks in a variety of shapes interest children at this age. Start out with a small set and move on to a large set as the child’s interest develops. Avoid blocks with sharp edges. Blocks that come in canisters are easiest for a child to put away when play is through. Blocks are a good investment; they hold children’s interest for a long time. They are usually appropriate from the age of 18 months to 8 years.

Telephone toys give children an opportunity to engage in an adult activity, and children like the noise they make. Some of these toys even talk. Those shaped like cartoon characters help maintain interest. Be sure bell parts cannot be removed and swallowed.

Shape-recognition toys that require children to fit pieces in appropriately shaped holes help develop hand-eye coordination, matching skills, and shape recognition. However, if the toy has too many pieces, the child will be frustrated. Watch for pieces of swallowable size and holes that can pinch or trap fingers.

Action toys, such as a push-pull bus with removable people, are very popular with children at this age, as are push-pull train sets with removable accessories. Make sure all parts are swallow-proof.

Pounding toys teach hand-eye coordination and enhance gross and fine motor skills. Any hammer should be very soft, so the child isn’t injured by it.

Riding toys come in two types: those the child moves by pushing with her feet and those with pedals. The latter are more difficult for children to use. All riding toys should be stable and easy to mount. They are usually appropriate for children 18 to 36 months of age. Always supervise a child using a riding toy outdoors, particularly near sidewalks or streets.

Activity toys are those that children either crawl or climb on or use to develop manual dexterity. Climbing toys should have railings and other safety features. Toys that enhance dexterity should be suited to your child’s abilities; they should be challenging but not frustrating.

Toddlers: 2 to 3 Years

At this point, children are more creative. They employ make-believe and fantasy in their play. Their attention spans are longer. They enjoy adult-like activities, and realistic toys stimulate hours of creative play. This age group enjoys toys that require movement as well as those that involve dexterity.

Talking toys and dolls are very appealing. Make sure the dolls speak their phrases clearly, and the pull ring is securely attached.

Toy dashboards are popular, too. The more features the dashboard has, the more interest the child has in it. Just make sure it’s easy to use. Avoid toys with knobs or decals the child can easily pull off.

Trucks are good toys for indoors and outdoors, especially for the sandbox. Trucks that have moving parts are especially appealing, but be sure there are no sharp edges and the metal is rust-proof. Choose trucks that are stable and maneuverable with wheels securely attached.

Push or wind-up trains are popular. Your child should be able to easily place the train on its tracks, though an adult usually needs to assemble the tracks. Make sure wind-up mechanisms are easy to use, and avoid toys with sharp edges.

Check for durability of toy kitchens and realistic tool toys. Make sure these toys are manageable for your child, or they won’t sustain interest. Also be sure that large items are stable and won’t fall on your child during play. Tool benches should provide a variety of activities without being overwhelming.

Puzzles can be an excellent purchase. They strengthen hand-eye coordination, matching skills, and shape recognition, and sustain interest if matched to your child’s skill level. Puzzles suitable for all ages are available. Pieces should not be so small as to encourage your child to pop them in his mouth.

Play scenes provide a child with the opportunity to use her imagination. These toys often have more appeal if the scenes are familiar, so a city child may enjoy a toy parking garage more than a farm scene. (Then again, the farm scene might be an excellent way to introduce your city child to life on a farm.) The toys should be easy to assemble, have storage for individual pieces, and have moving features. Also, be sure your child isn’t overwhelmed by a multitude of pieces.

Occupation toys, such as a doctor’s kit, inspire creative play. A child familiar with the occupation it represents will appreciate the toy.

When choosing a toy for a child your first concern should be that the toy is safe. But, apart from just not causing harm, toys can also help your child grow and develop. A child’s play is vitally important to their creativity and imagination!

We hope this helps you in your toy hunt.

Visit our website for some great toys that inspire creativity and imagination. www.growsmarttoys.com

Children definitely do reap the benefits of this technology evolution, but do we expose them to this high tech lifestyle too early? Children begin developing patterns in the womb and it would make sense that the toys we select for them also play a role in this pattern development.

What ever happened to old-fashioned toys for children? You know the ones; wooden puzzles, wooden building blocks, balls, puppets, marbles, pretend food and many more. Technology has certainly made many things in life easier and faster, but is this really a good thing in a child’s development?

“What is best for our next generation?” you may ask… Games like Jenga, Animal Matching, Marbles, Checkers and Hangman, general board games all promote hand/eye coordination and problem solving skills. These games can be played indoors or outdoors and they can involve multiple challengers. This enhances the self-confidence, competitive spirit and social skills for our children. The fact that these games are so basic can also encourage children to create new games from the existing parts and pieces. This creative process can motivate the development of their reasoning and engineering abilities. The only equipment needed is the actual game and the child’s imagination.

If we think toys these days are sensory overload, what do you think our children think? Do all of these high tech bells and whistles really teach our children more than a box of blocks would? Or do these toys simply overload our child’s senses so much that they actually discourage developmental phases? Toys, games, and objects should have texture and purpose; mimicking things children see us adults doing. It makes sense to have objects made of wood and glass that provide texture and feel to stimulate a child’s learning experience. Those old toys of bygone years provided stimulation to all of the senses while sparking a child’s imagination to grow and develop.

The technology market is a multi-billion dollar industry that targets children of all ages. These games and systems for children as young as 2 and 3 do challenge the child mentally, but often send out the wrong message. The video gaming industry does produce educational games, however, they provide limited information and the child does not have the ability to add his or her own input.

When it comes to our children… fast, easy and convenient are not always the best alternatives. A walk in the park, a game of touch football or a quite chess competition can be just the ticket. Children like to learn in small bits and pieces with just a few senses stimulated at a time. This allows time for the child to process the information. Today’s technology can overload a child’s senses with lights and sounds and movement, which doesn’t allow a child time to process. It seems that while children will laugh and giggle when first presented with the high tech toy they quickly leave it for something more simple.

Have you ever noticed your child wanting to use the broom? Or Hang up clothes? Children and toddlers enjoy mimicking you and the things they see you doing. They enjoy putting the silverware away out of the dishwasher and learning to use the broom and dustpan. Children often crave things that provide concentration and imagination.

Whether they are playing video or basic games, the important thing to remember is that nothing replaces parental participation. Be a part of what your child is doing and do not let the technology be the babysitter in your life. Technology progression in the toy department isn’t always better. In fact, it can be a hindrance and boring as well. So if your child wants the box, let them have the box and watch their imaginations grow!

A couple hours before each musical lesson our kids would play with their building sets like Playmobil, Lego and Construction Blocks.  They would create entire worlds of buildings, ships, airplanes and plot lines to go with every creation they put together.  At their music lessons we noticed our children were playing more creatively, flowing with the music and were hitting the notes better than ever before.  What we discovered was that their time of “play” was actually helping them increase creativity and hand-eye coordination with their musical instruments.

By building with small pieces and fitting them into different shapes they were increasing motor skills that helped them when playing their musical instruments.  Playmobil Toys and Lego Toys became fun ways that helped our children develop.  Now many of them continue to play instruments.  Just as importantly, however, many of our kids went into fields of study that demanded them to think creatively in order to solve difficult problems.  Some are in marketing, law, medicine and even politics.

We strongly believe that “play” developed our children early to look for challenges they can solve that similarly resembled the “challenges” experienced when using imaginative toys.  What stories can you recount when your kids used “play” to grow developmentally?

Christmas is almost here and it has always been a big deal in our family. Especially now that many of our children have grown up and are married in different states, we always look forward to everyone coming home. But, we always have a long list of gifts to get and no time to do it. Not to worry, we have just the solution for you.

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Don’t forget to check out tomorrow for the next deal!

Experiences Build Willingness To Explore

Today’s bible of child-rearing is “The Baby Book” by William and Martha Sears, which trumpets “attachment parenting.” You wear your baby, sleep with her and attune yourself totally to her needs.  Mom’s today don’t have the time, let alone the resources to make this dreamworld a reality.  In fact, this approach causes a significant impairment to the child when they develop. They think they should be the focus of your attention, because that’s how you raised them.  A child who is the total focus of a parent has more difficulty relating with other children and struggles to find their identity when they are not the center of attention.

Love Goes All The Way

Is all the love and caring a mom could give enough to raise a child? A strong environment filled with love is the bedrock for healthy childhood development.  A mother’s primary objective when raising a child is to create an environment that is stimulating and promotes the healthy growth of the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of her child.  We all know the saying, “hurt people, hurt people.”  If your child grows up in a loving environment their sense of self and treatment towards others will be positive.  They won’t be grabbing for everything they see because they don’t have a void that love should have filled.

Ask Others For Help

Seek those around you who will be able to apply positive developmental behavior towards your child.  It takes a lot to raise a child, and a mother or father are the not the only parental figures a child should receive for successful developmental.  Consider care givers, grandparents and relatives, or close friends to give your child a healthy perspective on life even from an early age.  Let them discover how others view the world, but ensure that you trust the people you entrust speaking into your child’s life.  Because like reading at early childhood gets implanted so do the words and actions they perceive.

Be Their Biggest Cheerleader

Create a culture that believes in the best for your son or daughter.  Tell them how much you think they are going to change the world.  Let them think they are the best at everything.  Children have gotten too desensitized already.  They don’t need a “reality check” at four years old.  Keep encouraging them to go for it, even if they aren’t necessarily the best one on the team because they don’t know what they really want to pursue yet.  It’s a time of exploration for them and the best thing a parent can do is give them the praise that thy need to try new things.

Let them fail forward by exploring various areas of learning: arts, reading, sports, outdoor, technology and math.  It’s the best thing they can take away from growing up, even more than information.  The world changes around them, but their self confidence should never be taken away from them.