When it comes down to choosing toys for children it is a very important responsibility for the childcare provider or parent to make sure they select an appropriate but useful toy. Although there is a great number of toys available to children not only in their homes but also in child care settings, after doing my research I found that there are many toys that are inappropriate or dangerous for children. However, I believe the need for open-ended opportunities is great, because toys give young children supportive play, which I believe is an essential element in child development, I also believe that the variety can be very dangerous if not selected properly.
While doing my research I came across this list of things that you should take into consideration before purchasing a toy.
Note: This list of guidelines was first published by the author in Chapter 15: Choosing Appropriate Toys for Young Children in A Right to Play (1993).]
1. The toy is developmentally appropriate.
• Challenging but not frustrating
• Appropriate level of complexity 2. The toy can be approached from a variety of levels.
• Variety of developmental stages addressed
3. Toy is safe for intended age group.
• Passes choke test (for infants through three-year-olds)
• No sharp edges
• No danger of suffocation
4. Toy is durable and intended for extended use.
5. Toy is appealing to children.
6. Toy is appropriate for intended use at home or child care center.
• Size appropriate for available space
• Can work for needed number of children
• Durable enough for expected use
7. Toy is appropriate for both indoor and outdoor use (added bonus).
• Flexibility offers increased play value
• Waterproof or easy to clean
8. Play opportunities are open-ended.
• Stimulates divergent thinking
• More than one right answer or method of use
9. Toy is multicultural.
• Will contribute to a variety of ethnic groups represented by classroom toys
• Is free of stereotypes (e.g., teepee for Native Americans)
10. Toy is free of sex stereotypes.
• Usable by both boys and girls
• Colors don’t dictate use by single sex
• Does not dictate a certain role
11. Toy is nonviolent in nature.
• Weapons not included
• Aggression not encouraged
• Character does not represent violence
12. Toy is a result of responsible use of resources.
• Not disposable
• Toy and packing are recycled or recyclable
13. Price of toy reflects its value.
14. Addition of toy will add variety to existing play setting.
• All developmental areas (physical, cognitive, emotional, and social) are supported by group of toys present
15. Similar play and value cannot be achieved by teacher-parent-made toy.
• Choice is responsible since other possibilities have been considered.
So as you see there a lot of factors to remember when picking toys, which I must admit is hard to remember, however it is very important that both parents and teachers try their hardest to keep this in mind.
Now while doing this paper I started to think about the kids that are developmentally fast and wonder if you would follow the same guidelines for that child and ironically you do. However you can still get a challenge toy that can still be safe and fun.
Breiana Dailey Student ID # 22131241
4547 Greene St. Graded project # 40502600
Philadelphia Pa 19144 Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child, ECE 130
Toy Project (part 2)
The age group that I have selected are ages 6 – 12 months. I choose this age group because in my opinion this is the most important time for a baby because his or her brain is processing the ability to master new fine motor and gross motor skills.
There are a lot of different age appropriate toys for this Group that often gets over looked not just by child care centers but by parents as well. The toys that I have selected are not very expensive and also very simple.
Toy number one, this toy is for ages 6-9 months. The name of the toy is Bright Starts Drop and Giggle Giraffe. “This toy will help develop hand-eye coordination you your young toddler”.
Not only will this help with hand-eye coordination but it also helps with fine motor skills because the child has to pick the ball up from the floor and drop it in the giraffes head.
In my opinion this toy is developmentally appropriate because it helps the child with fine and gross motor skills. It help the child develop and start to master hand-eye coordination. I would have to say that this toy is appealing to the child because of the bright colors and the sounds that it makes. As a parent and a child care provider I must say that I would buy this toy for my class and my child. However most parents won’t because it looks so simple so this toy would get over looked for the more expensive toy with all the bells and whistles.
Toy number two, is for ages 12 months and up . The name of this toy is EduShape mini edublocks. This toy is a house hold favorite and most people don’t even know why children love this toy. This toy enhance hand-eye coordination and recognition of shapes and colors. This toy also invites the child into a world of creative construction.
In my opinion this toy is very fun to play with children. This toy helps with hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. It also helps with creativity and some basic color and shape recognition. This toy will be appealing to children because of the fun bright colors and the different things you can do with this toy. I believe that a parent would buy this toy but not because of the developmental reasons but simply because it’s a fun toy to play with not just for the child but for the parent as well when the parent wants to have that child and parent interaction when it comes to play. I would pick this toy over most toys in my center for two reasons one because I can teach colors and shapes as well as a motor skill and use imaginative play.
For my last toy I choose something that you can find in any household kitchen and it’s not really a toy but all children seem to love it. who would of thought something as simple as pots and pans and a wooden spoon would be so much fun and developmental. This little fun house hold item is good for more then just cooking, if flipped upside down it not only becomes a great drum but also a great way to help with the development of motor skills. Not only will the banging start but the child will also start to put things in the pot and dump them out. This will help with the reaching and grabbing motion.
This toy is developmentally appropriate because it helps baby with grasping things, hand-eye coordination and dumping things. This will appealing to a child because its new to them and they like to explore things and the best place to explore is in the comfort of your own home. I would have to say that most parents wouldn’t let their child bang on their pots so I would have to say no them allowing this to happen unless they have an old fashion mom or grandmother. Again as a mother of three I have allowed my children to bang on the pots and pans and slide them around on the floor as the learned to walk, however this is something that you wouldn’t be able to do in a child care center because it would be to many children which might make it dangerous.
Reference List
Miller, L. (1993). Chapter 15: Choosing Appropriate Toys for Young Children. In Guddemi, M. & Jambor,
T. (Eds.), A right to play. Little Rock, AR: Southern Early Childhood Association. (part 1)
