Toys Kids Will Play With!!
Toy sales are a multi-million dollar industry in our country, ranging from simple toys that cost a few dollars to toys for even very young children that cost hundreds of dollars. Parents frequently will select toys that children request, only to find that their child only plays with the toy very briefly. How do you select good toys for your child?
First, young children really do not need a lot of toys. Some of the toys that provide the most pleasure to children are the simplest, least expensive, or even made from something around your home. However, most parents and grandparents want to provide their child some toys for special occasions and the right toys help children learn to play well and support skills children need to get along with others as they grow. Here are some basic principles of toy buying.
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*Make sure the toy is the right age for your child. Safety is a concern for young children and small parts, and toys that are either too young or too old for your child will not hold his interest. Use manufacturer guidelines but also think about what kinds of things your child really enjoys.
*Great toys do more than one thing. Electronic toys are very appealing and have a place in toy purchases, but for children younger than 3, they typically do not offer different ways to use the toy. Toys should provide enough ways to play that they retain interest over time.
*Great toys require the child to be actively engaged. There are many toys on the market currently that allow a child to push a button and sit back while the toy does things. Young children learn by manipulating and interacting with materials; toys that do everything without the child do not encourage the child to expand how she plays.
*Books are wonderful toys at all ages. See the section on Reading for ideas.
*No matter how great a toy, time with you will always be the best play experience for children. Getting down on the floor with your child and playing with her will make these toys fun and help your child expand her play and language skills in the best possible way |
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Toys for One Year to Eighteen Months
Children in this age group are still working on consolidating their large motor skills and may not stay with a toy for long periods of time. Sometime during this six month span, you will notice that your child is beginning to sit longer and attend to toys. Having the right kinds of toys available will encourage his play skills and increase his attending.
* Push/Pull Toys
Children love to use their motor skills at this age and things they can take with them are very appealing. Toys that make a noise when pushed or pulled are often favorites. Some toys frequently chosen are string toys that are pulled behind you when you walk, a cylinder on a stick that you push ahead of you, pretend vacuums and pretend lawn mowers. Small scooter ride on toys are also wonderful at this age. Look for one that is easy for your child to get on and off (the right height) and one that is stable so it will not tip while she is learning to climb on and off.
*Blocks
Twenty-five years ago, every child had a set of wooden blocks. Some were very elaborate, some had numbers, letters or animals on them but everyone had them. In recent years, wooden blocks have been replaced by a huge array of building materials. Many of these new products are wonderful toys as well, but traditional blocks provide great play value, particularly if you play with your child. Blocks encourage eye-hand coordination (stacking), design imitation and great imaginary play. You can build houses, bridges and roads. Cars can go down ramps you have made and animals can live in the structures. Blocks span the ages of early one to more than five years old, but they may require active involvement of an adult to begin to see the potential in them.
* Toy Telephone
Children in this age group are just beginning to use their language to communicate. This is a perfect age for children to practice all that jargon by using a pretend phone. This is definitely an adult behavior children see everywhere they go!
*Small house or barn with play people, furniture/vehicles and animals
The very beginnings of imaginary play begin at this age. At first, your child may just put a person in a vehicle and push it around but within this year you will begin to see the play schemes expand. Buy a sturdy, well made set; this will be a toy your child can use for several years. It is also a great tool for language development and an opportunity for you to play with your child.
*Simple Shape Sorter/Stacking Rings
Container play begins at 9-10 months with children starting to dump things out. The next step is putting things into an open container. By 18 months, children are beginning to show an interest in finding the right place to put things in. Good beginning shape sorters have shapes that are not too complicated or numerous and the shapes will only fit into the correct hole.
*Early Books
Soft covered, card board or soft plastic books are ideal for this age. See information under READING for more specific ideas.
Toys For Twos
*Puzzles
Children in this age group begin to attend to activities longer and love to put things together. Be sure to start with simple puzzles that have a spot for each piece (non-interlocking) and gradually move to more complicated puzzles. Puzzle skills are great for helping children develop problem solving skills and persistence. Puzzles are great things to get from toy libraries or garage sales because once they are mastered, children want new challenges.
*Doll or Stuffed Toy
Two year olds love to begin to pretend with a doll. This is the age that they begin to rock the baby, feed it with a spoon and put the baby to bed. The experience in imitating what children have seen adults do plays an important role in developing those nurturing behaviors for later life and develops an important set of skills for social play around age three. Both boys and girls enjoy pretending to be parents.
*Small Cars
Cars become very popular with some children during this year. They provide hours of play value and give something to drive on all those block roads constructed from the wooden blocks described in the previous section. Safety can still be a concern; look for cars that are well made with parts that will stay on. An additional great toy at this age is a Parking Garage, with ramps you can go up and down, elevators and gasoline you can put in the car. This toy sets the stage for early social play because two children can play along side each other using the toy without really having to do much sharing.
*Art Supplies
Children in this age group begin to be interested in a variety of art supplies. Though supervision is still necessary, this is a good age to introduce play dough, crayons and simple paint sets. Some children will sit for very long periods of time at this stage, others just briefly. Fine motor skills have developed to a level where these activities become more fun.
Three Year Olds
By three, children are becoming accomplished at a number of solitary play tasks and are getting ready to expand to more social play skills. Much of the play at this age involves toys that can include another person.
*Dress up Clothes
At this age, children love to pretend to be someone else. Dress up can be purchased from specialty stores but they can be made from old suits from Dad or Grandpa’s closet, old prom dresses from Mom’s closet, or interesting items found at second hand stores. Hats make great additions to dress up sets; they are easy to put on and distinctive. When you start a set of dress up materials, be sure to purchase a large tub for storage and several smaller containers for jewelry and accessories.
*Kitchen, dishes and tea set
The play value of these materials is unmatched at this age, for both boys and girls. These materials provide the backdrop for making breakfast for Mom and Dad, running a restaurant and taking care of the baby doll. Dishes can be set, food served and tea parties planned wearing the dress up clothes describes above. A good pretend kitchen can be expensive but well made ones do show up at garage sales and they will provide hours of fun from ages 2 ½ through early elementary. Children of all ages can share this setting making it a great toy for families with several children.
*Lego’s, etc.
This is a great age to introduce building sets with more complex parts. There are many sets on the market and many options within these sets. The early ones are a great introduction to copying a picture and expanding fine motor skills.
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