We all have bought a toy at least once in our life. It was never a difficult task, right! We generally would ask the toy shop helper “bhaiyya koi 2 years ke bacche ko acche se toys dikhaiye” (show us a toy for a 2 years old child). And we used to select a toy and come out. It is that simple, isn’t it! 😇 But, its not…..

 

Most importantly we should start taking “Playing” as the most principal activity babies and toddlers engage in for the most of their day time. It is not just an outlet for their physical energy or keeping them occupied, but playing channelizes their early learning process.

 

Playing is an essential activity that promotes and enhances a child’s social, physical and cognitive development. All this happens when their are having their gala time.

 

Through play children start making sense of the world around them. So it is important what objects and toys they are surrounded with.

Thus, selecting appropriate toys could be a thoughtful process in itself, and at the same time super enjoyable one.

 

Most of the times we end up buying toys that are not required or do not have any learning value for the baby.

 

Few of the common criteria on which people/ parents buy toys are,

 

1. Price: There is a section of buyers who think higher the price better is the quality. So they end up buying toys that are on a higher end cost, no matter what the toy is. Another section of buyers buy toys that are cheaper on the pocket. They might not think of the quality of the toy or the utility of the toy. This my include road side shopping, or cheap toys that we get from the shops.
2. Packaging: Now-a-days we are easily getting attracted to the fancy packing in which toys are stored, like the bright colorful boxes or bags. They not only catch the child’ attention, but adults are also falling for the fancy packaging. Many a times we end up buying a toy which might not be required but we buy it for its fancy packaging.
3. Comparisons: Children are always attracted to the toys their friends have. At times it is difficult for parents to convince their children and they buy the toys for which their kids might have out grown but since it his friend has it they also want it.
4. Selecting toys Randomly: This happens when we pick toys blindly from a toy shop. There are few toys which are commonly found in all the houses, so we think those toys as must-have toys. But do we ever think whether it is useful for your child??

 

When some of these factors come together, we end up spending on unnecessary toys.

 

What should we consider while buying a toys –

 

1. Is the toy age appropriate?? When it comes to selecting age appropriate toy, we should consider whether the child will be able to understand the toy, steps involved in playing with it. If the toy matches the child’ performance age he will enjoy the toy completely. It will promote independent play, creativity and curiosity, enhance problem solving and motor skills. When the toy is not according to the child’ performance levels, the toy will have no utility for the child. Too easy toys and difficult toys have no value for the children, they easily abandon them. Avoid this.

 

2. Is the toy Safe for your child?? Avoid toys that are too heavy or have sharp ends, or depending on the age of the child do not choose toys that have tiny parts there are chances the child might swallow them. Check with the quality of the medium of the toy, like cheap plastic, rough wood, poor fabric, bleeding colors of the fabric etc. Avoid marbles, coins or balls that are smaller than 3cms diameter. Toys with sound have to be soft and not painful for their eardrums. Battery operated toys should have secured slot of the battery, so kids do not attempt to remove it on their own. Also check whether the toy is non-breakable, to avoid chipping as kids tend to through the toys while playing, they might get the broken pieces of the toys to swallow. The toys that have strings should be avoided or kids should be watched upon while playing to avoid accidents.

 

3. Does a toy stimulate any 2 or more of our 5 senses?? Include toys that stimulate our sense organs for better learning. Look for toys that will have textures, soothing sounds, variety of base mediums like wood, fabric, fur (be aware of the allergy factors of individual child). This will enhance curiosity and creativity in them. The toy should increase the interest levels and not vice-a-versa.

 

4. Can a toys be played in more than 2 different ways and positions?? Toys that you buy should be easy to carry along wherever you are going, this helps to keep the child engaged while on a journey or in a new space. Multi-utility toys are best toys, as they can be used in many ways. As a parent a toy should allow creative utility this prevents children from getting bored of a toy. This will increase the child’ curiosity about the toy.

 

5. Does a toy promote development of cognitive and motor skills?? Include puzzles, books, balls, craft kits, sorters in toy collection. Invest in the toys that encourage usage of both the hands to enhance eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills. Cradle mobile is a good toy to invest in. It encourages the baby to reach out to the toys that are hanging to their crib. In improves their motor skills. Puzzles and sorters are great toys as they encourage problem solving skills. While selecting puzzles, look for age appropriate puzzles to avoid boredom, and at the same time watch out for the size of each toy you are buying.

 

6. Is the toy encouraging social and communication skills?? Look for toys that will encourage plays like role play, wherein children take up a role and communicate with other children. Invest in toys like dress-up clothes, playhouses, kitchen sets, doctor sets, school set up. These toys involve interactions with other children. They learn skills like negotiations, cooperation, wait for their turn, anger control, empathy and patience.

 

7. Does a toy have good shelf life and gives justice to the money spent?? Do not buy fragile toys which can easily break, and its inappropriate to expect a child to use a toy carefully like an adult. Invest in toys that can last longer, cleaned and reused or even passed on to next generations.

We as parents spend a lot on toys, we are always on a hunt to find best toy for our child. But consider the pocket factor. The toy should make justice to the money you are spending.

 

Toys are the immediate buddies of your child, lets make a good smart choice for our little ones.

 

————————————————Happy Toy Shopping————————————————-