Toy Buying Guide for Children

Toy Buying Guide for Children

Toys and play are essential in a child’s life. Studies have shown that children who have been deprived of these important elements in their childhood especially during the first 10 years of life experience poor early child development. This may later lead to depression, poor self–control, difficulty adapting to change, fragile and shallower interpersonal relationships, and a greater tendency to addiction.      

Importance of Toys in Children

Toys play an important role in the growth and healthy brain development of a child. They don’t just provide entertainment, they also fulfill an educational role. They allow children to nurture their creativity while enhancing their imagination. Toys improve their dexterity and cognitive skills and emotional strength.

Other advanced skills of children are developed playing with educational toys especially. These toys can help develop problem-solving skills, show how cause and effect work, and teach about conflict resolution. They also teach kids about sharing and help develop their fine and gross motor skills.

It is through toys and play that children engage and interact in the world around them at a very early age. The development of all the skills from playing with toys is necessary later in their life.  

Things to Consider When Buying Toys for Your Kids

Some toys, though fun to play with, are dangerous and can cause serious injuries to children not at the appropriate age. Follow these simple tips when planning to purchase toys that are safe for beloved children:

1. Read the toy label. It is wise to read the labels on toys before buying them. The label can tell you what age level the toy is for. Those intended for 12+ when played with by younger kids can be harmful to them.   
2. Buy large toys. By this, we mean making sure that the toy is larger than the child’s mouth and has no chance of being swallowed.    
3. Avoid toys that shoot into the air. Toys that shoot such as toy guns with bullets, bow and arrows, slingshots, and the like can cause injury to children and other people and should be avoided.
4. Avoid toys that produce a loud noise. Constant exposure to noise beyond what’s tolerable may cause hearing impairment in children. 
5. Ensure that plastic toys are sturdy. Broken parts of easily broken plastic toys can be easily swallowed by children.  
6. Don’t buy toys containing toxic materials. Lead has been found to exist in some toys. Avoid these low-quality cheap toys.  
7. Check UL approval in electric toys. UL ensures that the toy has flame retardance property when it burns.   
8. Avoid hobby kits and chemistry sets for kids younger than 12; they can cause chemical accidents that can seriously injure young children.  

Best Toy Ideas for Your Kids

Some toys experts suggest that all children must have to improve their skills including hand-eye coordination, spatial and motor skills, structural concepts, and creativity as they grow. These toys include:

• Blocks
• Balls
• Art supplies
• Cars and vehicles
• Dolls or stuffed animals 
• Puzzles
• Musical instruments
• Role-playing toys

Currently, Octonauts, globally popular toys that are both fun and educational are loved by children worldwide. They also make great quality children’s toys if your budget will permit. Here’s a a guide on the best Octonauts toys you can buy for your children.

Garry Landreth, renowned professor and the founder of the Center for Play Therapy, the largest play therapy training program in the world aptly describes the importance of toys when he said, “Toys are children’s words and play is their language.”  

Guest Article.