Choosing children’s toys may seem like an easy undertaking. You know what your child will enjoy and getting them something that will keep them well occupied is easy as a result. However, there are more things to think about than simply keeping your child occupied, and it’s not all just about them.
Inferior toys will be frustrating for you and your child. Spending hours trying to get something to work or putting something back together that simply keeps falling apart will be draining on your time as well as being frustrating and counter-productive for your child. Then there are those other toys, the ones your child loves, but the ones that constantly rile you up and make you angry at your child for something that isn’t really their fault – the messy toys.
Children’s toys that create huge amounts of mess or have the potential to damage the furnishing or decor in your house are probably best avoided – whilst your child may enjoy them, if such events are likely to leave you angry and shouting at your child, then it is best to stay well clear. If you give them a present then shout at them for using it, they will be confused at best, or even for those who don’t shout, the chances are you will end up restricting the use of such a toy and therefore you will have made a wasted investment.
Musical toys can be great, but again you may find yourself going out of your mind if you have a certain tune that continues to play relentlessly throughout the day. Either try to choose toys with multiple tunes or ones that can be moderated volume-wise or are not too loud to start with.
There are also toys that may cause accidents in the home, whether to you or the child, and these should also be moderated. Toys with many parts that can be removed should be kept an eye on to make sure small parts aren’t going to become a choking hazard for the very young. Then there are the sticky or slippy toys which can either lead to accidents or simply to a real mess that is not fun to clean up.
Ultimately, the best toys are usually the educational toys, at least for the younger child. These are usually toys that will help develop many different aspects of your child’s brain from numeracy and coordination through to colour and sound perception. Many toys are actually educational toys even if they don’t seem it, and a simple online search for such things will often not only yield the most fun and productive toys for your child, but also the ones at the best prices.
The toys that may cause you or your child problems are very minimal and there are plenty out there that offer huge amounts of fun and educational qualities all at the same time, and ones that can be used as easily on their own as they can with you at their side. So next time you’re toy shopping, maybe think about yourself a little too.