subject: Choosing Toys For Children [print this page] Choosing Toys For Children
No matter what age we are, the child in us is always there. It rears its head above the surface every Christmas and helps and guides us when it comes to buying toys and gifts for other children. It is almost impossible to buy a toy for a child without thinking about how we would have reacted to such a gift. With so many lovely toys available for children today, the child in us can be excused for being dazzled by the choices available, when it comes to choosing gifts for other children. Do we go for traditional favourites or get caught up in the trend for toys which claim to teach an impressive number of developmental skills?
To some extent all toys are educational, if just by virtue of the fact that they teach children how to play. From the time a baby learns to touch and hear, she can begin to enjoy simple toys in her pram, cot or bath. When she learns to grasp, she will enjoy holding a rattle or soft shape and later on will love gazing at a colourful, swaying mobile. Personalised gifts to commemorate special days: birthdays, christenings etc, are very special and likely to be put away and treasured in years to come.
Within a few months the baby's senses will begin to develop, with touch and hearing coming first. At this stage he will delight in feeling different surfaces, so textured toys, play-mats or blankets will be of interest to him and he will enjoy the sound of rattles or musical lanterns and mobiles. When he begins teething, everything will go in the mouth, so colourful rattles with teething rings that he can grasp and chew on are a good idea.
Who can resist games in the bath? Young children love floating, squirting and splashing toys and from the age of twelve months they will interact with toys they fill with water and try to submerge. Bath toys are always popular and children love being surrounded with a variety of colourful, floating boats and animals which can be woven into bath time stories.
As the baby grows into a toddler, you find it difficult to find toys that do not incorporate the word 'educational'. Popular toys for this age range are building and stacking toys, push and pull-along toys and, of course, dolls. A lovely gift to celebrate her first year is a musical rag doll that sings happy birthday. Dolls that can be dressed and undressed are also a good idea for teaching children how to do this themselves, or simply making getting dressed and undressed more fun.
When we think of traditional toys, we will generally think of wooden ones. Timeless classics such as wooden skittles, trains, trucks, or anything on wheels, and chunky puzzles are all wonderful to handle and great for the developing mind. Music is important too and with so many charming wooden musical boxes now available, she shall have music wherever she goes!
Nowadays toys have to pass rigorous safety standards and as long as you buy from a reputable company and ensure the toy is suitable for the age of the child, you should not encounter problems. Nevertheless, it is always better to ensure the parent is present when you give a child a new toy. Parents know the maturity of their children and will quickly be able to assess the suitability of the gift; ensuring it has no sharp edges, removable small parts etc.
Choosing the right toys for children need not be a chore and the choosing and giving should be fun for the adult as the receiving is for the child. When you give a toy to a young child, play together with it, teaching him how to use it and have fun with it. Whilst children will explore on their own, they love to have playmates and rarely discriminate on age grounds!
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