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Toy
Buying Tips
Tip
#1 The Daycare Toy:
Many customers come in to buy "the toy my child always
plays with at daycare" only to find that the child does
not like it as well at home. Some of the appeal of that
particular toy, however, is because it is at daycare.
Here's a tip. Look for a different toy that has the same
type of play as the one your child likes at daycare. If
it is a role model toy, find another role model toy. If
it is a construction toy, find a similar construction
toy. (Read the article on How Toys Teach for a
description of Role Model and Construction toys.) You'll
be sure to get something your child likes and your child
will enjoy the variety.
Tip #2 Getting Rid of Toy Clutter: Here's a great
way to keep your kids' toys fresh and fun without all
the clutter of too many unused toys around the house.
With the exception of birthdays and Christmas, tell the
kids that the only way they get new toys is to give up
the old ones. Here is how you do it: Have your kids pick
two or three (or more) toys to donate to Goodwill (or
the charity of your choice) for every new toy that they
want. They will lessen the clutter of unused toys, learn
the value of donating to charity, and help other,
less-fortunate kids in the process.
Tip #3 Safety First: Many toys are marked "Not
For Children Under Three" because of small parts that
present a choking hazard. Kids under the age of three
put everything in their mouths. But what do you do when
you have older and younger kids in the same household?
First, make a special play area for the older child for
these toys, up high on a desk, or in a special corner of
the play room where the younger child can't go. Second,
stress the importance of picking up these toys to the
older child. Tell him or her how it becomes a danger to
the younger sibling. Not only will your older child be
more diligent about cleaning up, but will also become
another pair of eyes watching what your younger child is
"eating".
Tip #4 Buy Expandable Toys: Have you ever
wondered why Lego continues to be kids' favorite year
after year? Their formula for success is simple - their
toy line is EXPANDABLE.
Once children learn the fun of building with Lego, their
imagination can keep them occupied for hours. When they
start to become bored with the toy, you can get them
interested again by buying a small add-on. Lego knows
this and includes many smaller items for every theme.
Once you add this smaller piece to what they already
own, you make the whole toy new again and stir up a new
burst of creativity in the child. Lego is the model of
expandability that many new toy manufacturers follow.
If
you're looking for a way to keep your children playing
with a toy for years to come, start with a beginner set
of a toy that is expandable. Best of all, you'll always
have gift ideas for the grandparents, aunts & uncles.
Tip #5 The True Cost of Toys: Many parents
question the amount of money they spend on toys,
especially when looking at traditionally expensive toys
such as train sets, Lego and Playmobil or any large
building set. The best way to evaluate any toy purchase
is not by what the toy costs but what is it's cost per
hour of play - what we call the "true cost of a toy". To
figure this, take the purchase price and divide it by
the number of hours your child plays with it. For
example, if a starter Wooden Train Set costs $40.00 and
your child plays with it for 400 hours (30 minutes a day
for two plus years - a conservative estimate by most
parents' standards), the actual value of the toy is ten
cents an hour. On the other hand, if you bought a Tickle
Me Elmo for $25.00 and your kid only played with it for
5 hours (30 minutes a day for almost 2 weeks), the
actual value of the toy is $5.00 an hour. So, even
though the Wooden Railway costs $15.00 more, it is, in
the long run, a much better value and the better
purchase.
Tip #6 The Three Pillars of a Great Toy: On your
next toy shopping trip ask yourself these three
questions about the toys you are looking to buy: 1) Is
it an "OPEN-ENDED" toy meaning it can be used in a
number of different ways? 2) Does it encourage
CREATIVITY by my child? 3) Does it require INTERACTION
with my child and/or other children or does it do all of
the work while my child watches?
What we sometimes call toys are actually "Novelties" or
"Amusements" designed to entertain our children - not
engage them. Great Toys engage children and encourage
creativity and imagination. Great Toys have multiple
uses for kids of different ages such as wooden blocks
that are for "stacking" with younger kids and "building"
for older kids. Great Toys involve the child's
participation in the play (and sometimes even the
parent, too). For longer lasting toy purchases look for
"toys" not "novelties".
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