Everything You've Always Wanted To Know About Preschool Toys
May 15 '01
The Bottom Line "Remember that your child's preschool years are their most important, especially developmentally. Choosing toys that safe, durable, educational, and that will hold your child's interest is very important."
Being a mother of 3 and 5 year old sons, and although I haven't had the pleasure/pain of having an "Advisor in Kids and Family" label slapped across my forehead, I feel that I am an expert. Most mothers who have been there two or three times around know these things, but new mothers, babysitters, and gift purchasing friends and family members may not. Today I'd like to explain how to choose the perfect toys for your preschool aged child, how to maintain them, and even how to help your child play with them.
Things To Consider When Buying A Preschool Toy:
Safety
First and foremost, look at the safety of the toy. I look for toys that I don't have to worry about when my children play unsupervised. I always check for small parts that could possibly break off, sharp ends, and cords or string that could wrap around my child's neck.
Always take into consideration not the age of your child, but his or her maturity level. While the age guidelines on the packaging are normally pretty accurate, all children aren't the same, so a mother's knowledge of how her child acts is a better indication of rather or not the toy is suitable for the child. Some toys marked ages three and up may be dangerous for your three year old if he or she tends to still stick things in their mouth. (Mine still does!)
Watch for safety recalls. While a toy may look safe, there could always be a manufacturing glitch that could be dangerous to your child. For a full list of toys you can visit the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/category/toy.html.
*If you ever buy a toy that proves to be less safe than claimed to be, be sure and report it to the manufacturer. By throwing the toy away and ignoring the problem, you could put thousands of children in danger.
Educational Value
Although a child's life shouldn't be all work and no play, it's still great to incorporate some sort of educational value into the toys you purchase for your child. Just remember to keep educational toys fun and not too complicated for your child. Younger children shouldn't be overloaded, for example, most 3 year olds aren't ready for the Leap Pad (which teaches children to read), and usually do nothing more than tear up an expensive learning toy. Keep it simple, and keep it enjoyable. Vtech is a wonderful educational toy maker.
Educational Value in toy goes much farther than learning colors, numbers, letter, and so forth. I consider the vast majority of toys educational, as long as they are in someway beneficial to a child's development, such as improving motor skills, promoting imagination, etc.
Child's Preference
It is important to buy a toy that your child likes, or you will be wasting your money. I've bought too many toys that have done nothing but collected dust in the closet, so this is a point that I want to stress. Be sure that toy is one your child has pointed out, or lays within his or her interest. Maybe your child enjoys a particular cartoon or movie character, maybe he likes trains, maybe she likes horses. Take into consideration what your child really wants, in order to better the chances of the toy actually being played with. Don't buy them what you think they should like.
Another thing to consider is what the toy does. Most children will find more to do with a multi-function toy. The best are the kinds that grow with your child, and are the ones that I've found my children have gotten the most use out of. Especially consider this when making a large toy purchase.
Durablity
Toys can cost a lot of money, and you certainly won't want to spend money on a toy that will break a week after you buy it. It's better to buy quality toys, and keep in mind that highly durable toys also tend to be safer. I am a fan of the heavy plastic toy produces such as Little Tikes and The First Years. I also tend to look for toys with less pieces to be lost, as they tend to loose their ability to hold a child's interest when things are missing.
Things Remember About Maintaining Toys
The first thing to remember is to teach your child to take care of their toys, and to keep them picked up. Keep toys wiped down on a regular basis to prevent germs. Also be sure to go through your child's room at least once a month and throw away broken toys that could be a danger to your child.
Many toys require batteries, which can get pretty expensive. Teach your child to always turn toys off when done playing with them to save their batteries, and be sure to keep and eye on batteries to be sure they aren't corroded or leaking...and take it from me, all batteries are the same. You don't have to buy the most expensive. I buy most of mine from the Dollar Store for half the price of some of the better known brands.
Getting Rid Of Toys That Have Lost Their Appeal
Even though a toy might still be in good shape, your child may have lost interest in it. I don't know about the rest of you, but my children's play room is highly over populated. I try to weed through the toys, taking out the ones my children have out grown or lost interest in, and do something worthy with them. You can give the toys to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army, or even to a church daycare.
Teaching Your Child To Play
Of course, all children know how to play automatically. But as a parent, you can teach your child to get the best from playtime. While I recommend playing with your child at times, sometimes they should left to play alone. Although children need companionship as much as adults, they also need to know how to entertain themselves.
Encourage imaginative play, and show praise when your child uses his or her imagination. Show your child other ways to play with a toy, and how to pretend. Also teach your children to share at an early age, so they will be able to get along with their peers when they start school.
A Final Word On Preschool Toys
Remember that your child's preschool years are their most important, especially developmentally. Choosing toys that safe, durable, educational, and that will hold your child's interest is very important. I hope that I've helped, and I have but one more thing to add...
*While toys are great, when in doubt, buy a child a book! Books are always safe, never get old, very educational, and can be shared with adults and other children alike.
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Member: Evelyn Parker
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