There’s something about shopping for toys that brings out the kid in every grown-up. And when the kid comes out, it’s tough for some grown-up to keep in mind who they’re shopping for. Instead of buying what’s appropriate for the chilled in their lives, they tend to buy what appeals to the child in themselves: an intricate train set for the infant still in the cradle, a computerized alphabet game for the child who hasn’t yet spoken his first word, a tricycle for the tot who hasn’t taken her first step. Premature purchase that aren’t just uninteresting for the young recipients, but often completely unusable, and sometimes even unsafe.
To avoid falling into this toys and filling your toddler’s toy chest with unsuitable selections, be sure to observe the safety guidelines and the specific suggestions that follow:
Don’t choose toys your toddler’s not developmentally ready for. Overcome with nostalgia, you may be tempted to buy a Barbie for your two-year-old. But she can’t possibly dress it, and by the time she can, it’ll be ready for the trash bin. Hold off, too, on electric trains, a Monopoly set, or any other tempting toy that appeals to the kid in you. It’s the kid in your kid you should try to please. Judge less, however, by what your child demands than by what he or she actually plays with at home. The glitziest toys often have the shortest playing power.
Don’t overlook non-toys as playthings – a measuring cup that can be used to mold sand at the playground; a large cardboard box to climb in and out of; a small cardboard box to use as a garage for cars or a tables for dolls; paper bags for making masks, costumes, and puppets, and to use for carrying around belongings; a blanket draped over two chairs to create a “tent”. Also great: mixing bowls and spoons, small unopened cans of food or empty cereal or cracker boxes, and some plastic flatware, dishes, and cups.
In general, don’t buy what offends you or your values, but leave yourself open to compromise when it’s something your child is truly yearning for.
Avoid excess. Young children are not born with great expectations – the adults in their lives (and, later, their peers and television) generate the expectations. Even if you can afford to go overboard at birthdays and holidays, don’t. Children with closets full of toys often bounce from one to the next and don’t appreciate or enjoy any of them. Of your toddler already has a colossal collection, rotate the toys, making only a few available at a time.
Be a borrower and a lender. Set up a toy co-op with other parents you know, so that you can trade toys, especially big ticket items and toys that are outgrown before they’re worn out.
Look for versatility. Toys should offer a variety of play possibilities rather than a variety of elaborate features; they should stimulate children to do, rather than do for them.
Don’t discourage originality in your child’s play. A child should be allowed to play with a toy his or her own way – even if it’s not the way the designers had in mind. The only exception: when originality can lead to danger.
