Guidelines for selecting developmentally appropriate toys

Toys are the glory of childhood. It has very many stories attached to that phase of life, let alone created with toys. But the question is, are all of them safe for kids? Is it advisable to give any random kind of toys to children? They are not only meant for playing but to teach virtues and mannerism to your little ones. Toys, if carefully chosen, can teach many things to kids and can imbibe many values in them with greater confidence. Let's have a look at the following points which can help you choose a better toy for your kid/s.

1. Age factor

The toys are designed and made according to the age group of the kids. There are different toys for different age group suiting them accordingly. This is because different age group requires different toys. Viz., for toddlers, the toys are designed much softer and touch friendly. For kids of different age, there can be some machine toys.

2. Safety

The toys should not have any sharp edges or corners. Such toys are can harm the children to death. Thus, one should be very careful while checking the toys and should not opt for any such toys having sharp end or edges. Even if some toys have sharp edges; you can safeguard them with the baby safe options, which are easily available in the market. You can stick these to the edges of sharp objects and you are good to go. Also, there should not be any chords or string-like objects in the toy. These parts can be harmful to the children as they might get entangled within such strands or can cut themselves. Toys with such parts should be strictly avoided.

3. Verification

All the toys come with the age guidelines and specifications. Before handing over the toys to your child, read the age group without fail. Some toys are specifically made for particular and respective age groups only. There are various such guidelines which can be referred to as to before buying the product. These guidelines suggest do’s and don’ts for the age group. Do not buy toys without guidelines, if you are not sure about which age group it is.

4. Toys producing sound

Toys with excess noise can be harmful to kids. As too much noise can be deceiving for them (Can affect the hearing capacity). While buying the toy which generates sound due to the inbuilt system; the maximum value should be analysed. By doing this, the toys with excess noise can be avoided. Hence, the toy can be safer for the kid. In this category, recordable teddy bears are available in the market, which can be useful as well as harmful for children. These teddy bears record the voice and then the same recording can be listened to whenever you want. You can check the volume aspect to keep your kid safe.

5. Harmful parts

Many toys have various small parts which can harm the kids. Especially the toys with machines in it will have very small parts in it. These parts should be properly fitted to avoid an accident. These include nuts, bolts and such small metal parts which can be swallowed by toddlers or another age group of kids.

6. Material

The material with which the toys are made is also very important. It should not be a harmful material for kids as it can have an adverse effect on them. Materials like wood,t plasticized PVC; the heavily used plastic in the toy industry, metal, polyolefins, styrene-derived polymers and other materials like these can leave undesirable effects on children. Thus, one should take care of this beforehand while purchasing and make sure that the product is not made of any such material. Instead, there is always an option of using the toys made of the biodegradable material. These are not only kid-friendly but eco-friendly as well. You can always contribute a little to saving the earth by replacing the toys made of harmful material with the toys made of biodegradable materials. If you want to use the wooden toys, there are again several kinds of woods which are not harmful to the kids. Viz., maple, walnut, poplar, beech, ash, birch are the types of woods which can be used for making toys. Wooden blocks can be used for the pre-schooler, which will help them learn while playing. This block is made out of the good quality of wood and the edges are softened to avoid an accident. A good toy is a product which is going to help your kid learn and grow while playing along. Made out of material which is not harmful, suitable for their age and can contribute to a child’s development. It should always inspire active playing along with learning. There are also educational toys available especially for the kids of various age groups.