Toddler Week 35

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Toys Worth Having

While children of all ages may be hard on toys, toddlers are the worst! It is during this age that children experiment with throwing, banging, dragging, and even sitting and jumping on things. Keep the following in mind when buying toys for your toddler:

  • Toys made from wood are more durable than toys made from plastic. One set of wooden blocks have survived for over eleven years in our household and is still going strong.
  • Don’t buy sets, like a doctor play set or tea set if as  it can be a tough task keeping them together.
  • Most parents like buying cheap toys to keep their  toddlers pacified for a while, the problem is that they almost never make it home intact. In the toy world, the more expensive toys usually last longer because they are made from good quality materials.
  • Don’t believe marketing gimmick ploys that toy manufactures use to make you buy their products. Rather talk to friends, read objective reviews and most importantly see how your toddler reacts to a certain toy in the shop.
  • Buy a new toy only when really necessary. You can get a lot more mileage out of toys by rotating them. Get a few large storage crates, fill them with toys and put one or two away for a while. Take it out after a month or two and your child will be overjoyed about all the ‘new’ toys she will suddenly have.
  • Toys based on movie characters can be a good way to encourage toddlers to veer away from screen-based entertainment towards more open-ended play while still acknowledging their interest in their favorite characters.
  • A good quality construction block set, like Duplo, is recommended  for every toddler. It encourages fine motor skills, creativity and cognitive development.
  • Invest in a large set of plastic farm animals and wild animals with pens. This will encourage open-ended play.                                                                                                                                                                     

When determining which toys to buy, remember that ordinary household and nature objects can provide just as much fun. Most importantly, remember that for your toddler YOU are the best toy in town and the best game in the house.

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