Toy Buying Tips to Make You Smile

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".