FEATURE
Choosing
Toys for
Christmas
In the next few months hundreds of millions
of dollars will be spent on Christmas presents
for children. Parents need to spend some time
thinking about the type of toy with which they
want their children to play and the purpose for
which it will be used. Aside from price, parents
need to carefully consider a number of issues:
•Toys need to be geared to the child’s age level and developmental
skills and to have long term play appeal. Ask these questions: Will
this toy help in any areas of developmental growth? Does it challenge
my child’s ingenuity?
•Poor quality toys that break easily or break down cause nothing but
heartache. Ask these questions: Is this toy safe for your child to use?
Is this toy durable?
Toys for under two:
Basically, before 18 months, children do not really
need any costly toys at all. Christmas wrapping
paper that is shiny and crinkly is probably far
more exciting to your creeper/crawler than
anything inside! Early walkers will probably prefer
the pots and pans in the kitchen cupboards, or
the plastic containers from the bottom drawer!
If you do consider it necessary to buy your infant
and toddler toys, remember they learn through
movement and their senses – so the toys and
materials for this age should appeal to the senses
of touch, sight, hearing and movement.
Hollow blocks or boxes, soft toys, floating bath
animals, spinning tops, rattles, squeaky play
animals with no removable parts, light plastic
blocks, large holed posting boxes, large soft
balls and empty containers are examples of toys
suitable for the under one. The very small baby
will enjoy tracking a mobile, hearing a rattle and
feeling and sucking on soft rubber/plastic toys.
Simple, two dimensional, sturdy picture books are
also great.
As babies begin to walk they should have simply
constructed materials because they experiment
continually. A variety of toys is desirable, but
offer only a few at a time. Suggestions for our
one – two year olds include:
A toy telephone (mobile or hands free are
the preferred ones these days!), percussion
instruments, miniature garden tools, plasticine,
clay, wagons or trucks, soft play animals,
cardboard cartons, a large soft ball, large crayons
or chalk and drawing paper, a sandpit with a
bucket and spade, a small rocking horse, a pushalong cart, boats for the bathtub and well made
picture books.
Two years
Two year olds are active explorers of their world.
They are learning new things about themselves
and their world every day. They are still refining
large muscle control, so toys for this age group
need to be sturdy and stimulating.
Suitable toys for a two year old include: large
blocks, wooden inlay puzzles (four - seven pieces),
large coloured beads, large soft balls, a train,
trucks or boat, brush painting materials, clay
modelling, push and pull toys, ride on/scoot along
bike, musical instruments or a musical box.
paddle with ball attached, three wheeled scooter,
tricycle, wagon (large enough to hold a child),
bouncing horse, rocking horse, bean bag, simple
rolling games, simple construction kits, aquarium,
water play materials, bubble set, musical
instruments, model house with small family,
farm and zoo sets, tea-party set, inlay puzzles
(eight to twenty pieces), matching picture games,
viewer box with slides, washable, unbreakable
dolls, house keeping equipment, costume box for
‘dressing up’, hats, including space helmets and
fire fighters hats, puppets, blunt ended scissors,
paste, hammer, nails and soft wood.
Sources of information:
The information above is a compilation of
information from the Australian Consumers
Association: Choice magazine, Toys2buy.com and
Toddler Kindy GymbaROO parent handouts.
Three to five years
These children are developing fine muscle control
while large muscles are continuing to grow. Their
imagination is also blossoming, so toys need
to encourage imaginative play – they love to
hold tea-parties or pretend to be tigers, firemen,
spacemen, ballet dancers and so on!
Our three to five year olds will enjoy playing with
a: toy cart, magnifying glass, wading pool, swing,
lock and key, skittles, simple throwing games,
•Some battery operated toys and dolls have limited play value,
although they have instant appeal, particularly if built up by
advertisements. Ask this question: Can the toy be used in different
ways? Will my child find this toy interesting a week after Christmas?
•Good quality toys last a long time. Ask this question: Can this toy be
passed from one child in the family to another?
•Good toys offer new challenges at different ages. Ask this question:
As my child grows will this toy provide a new set of challenges?
Safety Tips for Developmental Toys
Before buying developmental toys you should also check that the toys you
are buying are safe. Consider the following points:
•Does the toy meet approved safety requirements?
•Is the toy designed for a child of the same age as yours?
•Does the toy have any little pieces that might come off and be a
choking hazard?
•Is the toy sturdy or can it be easily broken?
•Will the toy be easy to clean and to keep free from germs?
After developmental toys are brought home, they should be regularly
cleaned. They should also be checked often for damage or defects. Any
toys that are showing cracks or broken pieces should be replaced. Most
developmental toys are designed to be sturdy in order to survive a baby
and toddler's rough play, but breakages can still occur.
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Ask your GymbaROO centre
or
about
Ph( Aus) 1300 722 430
www.tike.com.au
Now also available in NZ
www.tike.co.nz
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