Select the Perfect Toy

Here are two stories commonly told by parents who have not yet learned the rules by which babies live.

First tale:
I bought my baby a wonderful toy. It was big, shiny, beautiful and very expensive. My son looked at it, picked it up, put it in his mouth and a few minutes later just left it. He has ignored it ever since.
Second tale:
My friend and I have baby girls exactly the same age. When my friend told me about a toy that her daughter plays with constantly, I immediately ran out and got one just like it. But my daughter doesn't even look at it!

Stories like these illustrate how difficult it is to choose toys for your baby - an individual with his or her own personal taste in toys. Well-meaning parents are on a constant quest to find stimulating, educational and fun toys, without wasting money in the process.

Seven rules for buying toys for the first years of those dearest to us:
1. Do Your Homework - Which is the best toy I can buy? What is the purpose of the toy? Is it meant for baby to lie on her stomach? or for sitting up? For the carriage? or the car? Are you looking for a toy that will develop fine motor skills such as hand control? Or for developing gross motor skills such as head-lifting or crawling? Or has the time come to teach your baby concepts such as shapes and colors?

2. Verify Compliance With Official Safety Standards
Safety should be your first and foremost concern. Never compromise on safety. Make sure that the toy you choose meets certain safety standards before making your purchase.

3. Perform Your Own Safety Survey
Follow these additional safety recommendations before giving a toy to your infant. Look for the following characteristics:
Durability, Lack of Small parts, No Threads and strings, No Long "hair" or "fur, Secure battery compartments, check that there are no electrical wires that could come within baby's reach, Check the fabric and seams of soft fabric toys very carefully, Check washing instructions on the toy before purchasing, Test the size of the toy (it's too small if it fits inside a 35mm film canister).

4. Select a Toy Best Suited to Your Child's Age and Development.

5. Check the Range of Possible Games
Toys that can be played with in a variety of ways increase the chances of being successful over an extended period. The pictures on the package can give you an idea about the possible range of games.

6. Read the Toy's Package for Information

7. Keep in Mind That the Toy Should Be Suitable for Your Child and not for You
Do not reject a toy because you think it looks boring. Your baby is different from you not only in size, but also in his abilities, needs, motivation and preferences.

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