Your Baby Toys

Three Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Buy Toys For Your Kids

By Peter Legrove

Three Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Buy Toys For Your Kidsso you can buy a useful toy. Some toys are over hyped and others that I quite like, are never advertised. When I see new toys or the kid wants something she saw on TV, I usually ask myself “What can this toy be used for” and “How long will it keep the kid interested.” The last question I sometimes never ask, cause I never get that far is “Does the toy teach anything or does it build imagination or some other characteristic.” These three questions, hopefully will give me an idea about the usefulness and longevity of the new toy. If the toy passes the first two questions then it is into the realm of learning. Some toys never make it this far, they are just ornaments. I don’t look at the safety aspect as most toys are safe, but I am careful with little bits and pieces.

For the first question I think about what you can do with the toy. Whether you can play alone or with friends. Can it be used with other toys to do other things, or is it a one hit wonder. As an example we will use the Star Wars Darth Vader Mask. This little toy is very popular because of the film, but I think its usefulness is very limited. You could use it in pretend play but how long will that last. I would say this type of toy is used for sharing, a sort of play and share toy to see who can come up with the most outrageous line. It is not really the type of toy you could play with by yourself. For the second question I think this toy would be discarded quite early, as there seems to be very little to keep the kid amused. Once you have said your few lines what do you then. Then again there are all the accessories to buy to go with the mask, like the clothes and boots. The money is in the accessories these days. Unless your kid wants to be an actor I would not get around to asking the third question.

The toys I do like are the LEGOS, the MEGA BLOKS and the PLAYMOBILS that the kids use to build things. Gone are the days when I was young and LEGO was a bucket of bricks that you could make anything with. The only limit was your imagination. Nowadays imagination has gone out the door to be replaced with an operator’s manual so you get all the bricks and accessories in the right place. They are still fun to do. The finished product is a beautiful crafted masterpiece that usually ends up on top of the piano or coffee table until the cat destroys it. So far for my kid the max is three times to redo one. So I would say the novelty wears off after three attempts. These toys build finishing ability and teach how to follow a plan. Also they are good for a rainy afternoon as they can take some time to finish. But the downside is they can be very pricey. For these toys the answer to the first questions would be-- the kid can build something. They can see the finished product and match it with the picture to see if it is correct. The next answer would be they can remake it or make there own design. And for the last question I would say the kid should definitely learn something while putting the blocks together. Using these three questions I somehow manage to buy what I consider to be useful toys. Therefore I am not swamped by the advertising hype or the “Keeping up with the Jones” sort of thing.

Ten Things You Should Know Before Buying Educational Toys

By Michelle Andrews

Your young child's playtime is his first real learning experience, and toys can act as catalysts in your child's growth. The benefits of educational toys are many and varied, and by choosing the right toys, you create an environment that is fun and conducive to learning vital skills.

But currently it is hard to find what you need if you do not know what you are looking for. With a million toys on the market today, it is tough to pick out the best combinations of fun and learning. However, every beneficial toy should be fun, safe, and help the child develop and exercise some skill. When faced with so many choices, asking yourself some simple questions about your child's development can help you make the best selection.

The following is a list of characteristics you should look for in a good, educational toy:

1.Sensory attraction: How many senses will the toy occupy? Does it respond to and with lights, sounds, or movement? Is it colorful? Does it have a smell or a texture?

2.Activation method: Will the toy provide a challenge without frustrating your child? Will it be a fun and rewarding experience?

3.Self-expression: Will the toy allow your child to express himself, be creative, and make choices?

4.Success potential: How many "correct" ways are there to play with the toy? Can play be open-ended with no right or wrong responses? Will the toy adapt to your child's ability and style?

5.Ways of use: Can the toy be used in many different positions? Can it be used in different kinds of play?

6.Popularity: Is it a popular toy? Can it be tied-in with other media such as storybooks, television or movies?

7.Flexibility: Does it have adjustable volume, speed, and level of difficulty?

8.Opportunities for interaction: Does the toy provide a chance for you or other children to be involved? Will it build social skills?

9.Individuality and growth: Will the toy engage your child in activities that indicate the child's developmental age and growth? Does it reflect the child's interests?

10.Safety and durability: Is the toy durable, considering your child's age and strength? Is it safe?

So, giving your child the right toys will be benefit for all. Your child's play time is not only a time of fun and development for them, but can also be a great way for you to relax and enjoy your child's company. With educational toys, you can follow, supervise and direct your child's development, and find great thrill and amusement in their playtime activities.

Toys And Accessories, Toys And Add-ons, When Do You Stop Buying

By Peter Legrove

After buying toys for my kids I am sometimes overwhelmed by how short a time it takes before the latest toy that they always wanted is discarded. Left for dead under the bed or tossed into the wardrobe to be forgotten about. Or sometimes, and these are the times I like, the imagination takes over and the toy is transformed into something else or combined with other toys.

I have spent countless dollars on little Barbie dresses and now Barbie is wrapped up in a handkerchief with a shoelace for a belt. I don’t know where this idea for the latest fashion came from, but then again children see things differently from us. This same philosophy of children losing interest is possible behind why the toy makers are always adding to the existing models. Barbie has been going for many years and she is always being upgraded with different accessories. The latest Barbie is a rather elegant model that came out as the Chinese New Year Barbie with an elegant price to match. One toy set I like and my kid keeps collecting is the Littlest Pet Shop. This has been around since the 80’s so now the older stuff would be collector’s items. There are untold pieces and many different accessories. This little playset is reasonable priced and buying up the little pets won’t break the bank. Every time another add-on hits the market there are usually only two new pets in the box, but on the picture on the box you see pictures of many lovely little pets. This is an excellent marketing strategy and should guarantee future sales. But us parents are at the receiving end. Looking around the toyshops many different toy sets do the same thing. I suppose it keeps the children interested and looking forward to something new. MEGA BLOKS has many different add-ons for each new series. For example the Pyrates series has two main boats—Dread Eye’s Phantom and Captain Cutlass’s Stormstalker. The other main bases for the series are the Pyrates Cove and the Smuggler’s Fort with the Pyrates Treasure Pack and Pyrates Skull Cave and any number of figurines as add-ons. So if your little boy falls in love with the Pyrates there would seem to be a never ending supply of toys to choose from. A slight variation on this theme is the classic game, Monopoly, which now has countless versions all based on the original game. These are not really add-ons they just make the game more appealing to a wider audience. Instead of just the property game, now you can get dinosaur, cat, car and sports monopoly along with scenery and fishing and many more.

If you are a dinosaur fan then Dinosaur Monopoly, to find out if you end up extinct or not, is the game for you. Kids love new things, especially popular toys they can show off to their friends. But we parents have to fork out our hard earned cash. I must admit in most cases I do it willingly because I like to see my kid happy. Now I’m starting to check myself and before I buy I like to think my money is going to good use. So if I buy one in a series and the kid does not play with it I do not buy anymore, despite the tantrums. When we parents are up against modern advertising and exquisite packaging designs we have no chance. So the best weapon we have is to say “NO” and mean it.