The holiday season usually means new toys

By Julie Tresco for the Times Herald Record

Ever set foot in a toy store and felt like you have just entered an alternate universe? There are countless winding aisles of toys piled up to the ceiling. How do you know which toys are right for your child? How do you pick the right toy to give as a gift? Do you just check the box for an age guideline and toss the toy into your cart? Make sure everyone has a safe and happy holiday by purchasing the right toy for the right child.

When choosing a toy the physical, mental, and social ability and interest of a child should be considered. To help with this, guidelines for toys are separated into five age groups:

Young Infants (birth to 6 months): toys for a child of this age will be for looking, listening, shaking, mouthing, holding, or kicking. Infants like to see: bright contrasting colors, simple patterns, bull’s eyes, and human faces (especially eyes). Appropriate toys would include: simple rattles, teethers, cloth toys, soft blocks, squeeze toys, keys on a ring, interlocking rings, textured balls, or overhead gyms/mobiles. This is also the age where infants need supervised tummy time to strengthen back and neck muscles, so consider activity mats that will engage the infant during this time.

Older Infants (7-12 months): a child of this age will be into exploring by operating simple mechanisms, filling and emptying containers, opening and closing, pouring out, stacking, pushing, and turning. Appropriate toys for a child of this age would include: 2-3 piece puzzles, simple nesting cups, rounded wood blocks, activity boxes and cubes, containers with objects to empty and fill, unbreakable mirrored toys, simple cars or animals on wheels (not ride-on), stacking ring cones, and cloth, plastic, or board books.

Young Toddlers (1 year): a child of this age prefers action toys that produce movement or sound by the child’s own effort. Appropriate toys would include: ride-ons (no pedals), stacking blocks, puzzles with knobs (securely attached), pop-up books, shape sorters, tunnels for crawling through, hammering toys, simple matching toys, and trains with simple coupling systems.

Older Toddlers (2 years): a child of this age will begin cooperative, social play and pretend play (make believe). Appropriate toys would include pull toys with strings, wagons, look alike adult equipment (lawnmower, vacuum), dolls, puppets, crayons, giant dominoes, 4-12 piece puzzles, screw-in toys, dressing and lacing toys, vehicles with moving parts, and realistic looking animals or characters.

Children under 3 years old tend to put everything in their mouths. Avoid buying toys intended for older siblings that may have small parts and present a choking hazard.

Preschoolers (3-5 Years): a child in this age group prefers realistic looking toys with working parts. This age group is the most difficult to buy for, so you should really be aware of where the child is developmentally before choosing a toy.

For more information of toy safety and buying guidelines visit: www.childsafe.org or www.cpsc.gov.

Those of us at MISN wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

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