subject: Appropriate Fun For Children [print this page] As a parent you have many things to worry about. What to feed your child for breakfast, what school to send him/her to, or what kids he/she should hang out with. Another important issue to think about is what toys are suitable for your child. If your child is a newborn (age 0-2) then the toys you let your child play with are important. You must make sure the toys you buy for your young child are safe. What does this mean? It means they should be large to avoid choking hazards, and they should be free of lead since babies have a habit of putting toys in their mouths.
For toddlers, you don't have to worry about choking hazards as much as babies, but it should still be in the back of your mind when you are purchasing toys. For toddlers, try to get toys that come in various shapes and sizes (blocks are a good example). Make sure the toys come in various colors too, which aids in color recognition for your developing child. Don't focus on getting toys that require too much hand eye coordination just yet, as your toddler probably won't possess enough skill to play with the toy anyways.
Toys that are suitable for kindergarten aged children include LEGOS, Kennex, and other such toys that let your child build things from their imagination. By now, your child will possess enough skill to put together LEGO blocks. LEGOs are also nice because your child can build anything they want. Spatial reasoning is also taught at an early age which is critical in your child's development.
For kindergarten aged girls, Toys that are suitable would include dolls, doll houses and toy horses. Not to imply that girls can't play LEGOs, but chances are she would not be so interested. Dolls like Barbie are great for your young girl. They offer her a chance to play ?make believe? with a doll and dress her up any way she wants. Dolls also offer a great way to socialize with other girls her age by playing dolls together.
Other toys that children may like are board games. They are great because they involve the entire family and often offer educational opportunities. Such games include Monopoly and Yahtzee. Both involve heavy math calculations. It is advisable to only play Monopoly with children age 10 and above. Kids often get bored of Monopoly and they could have a hard time following what is happening.
Some other toys that are suitable for your older children are video games. Sure, you've heard that too many video games are bad, and this is true, but 30 minutes of video games per day won't hurt anything. Make sure the video games you are buying are appropriate. Check the ESRB rating on the box before you make a purchase. Generally anything that is rated ?teen? and above will be inappropriate for most children. Monitor how many hours per day your child spends playing video games. If it is over an hour, consider placing restrictions on how many hours per day they can spend playing video games.
by: Soophott Lert
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