Toys for young children should match their abilities and stages of development. Parents can usually find many safe and appropriate play materials at home. Children can use cardboard boxes, plastic bowls and lids, collections of plastic bottle caps, and other items in many different and creative ways. If you have questions about toys for children, the pediatricians at Pediatric Partners of Augusta are here to help.
Keep in mind that each child develops at a different pace. As long as the toys are safe, items on one list can be good for children who are younger and older than the suggested age range.
Young Infants (Birth Through 6 Months)
Young infants need toys they can suck on, make noise with, reach for, hold, and shake, such as large rings, rattles, squeeze toys, soft dolls, vinyl and board books. Good choices also include recordings of lullabies and simple songs and books with nursery rhymes and poems.
Older Infants (7 to 12 Months)
For older infants, focus on things to pretend with, like baby dolls, water toys, and plastic and wood vehicles with wheels. Also consider things to drop and take out (plastic bowls, nesting toys, balls) and things with which to build (large soft blocks and wooden cubes).
1-Year-Olds
Board books with photographs or simple illustrations of real objects are great choices. Also consider items with which to create (crayons and wide, non-toxic, washable markers); things with which to pretend (dolls, toy phones, dress-up accessories, stuffed toys, plastic and wood realistic vehicles); and items for using their large and small muscles (puzzles, large pegboards, toys with parts that do things (dials, switches, knobs, lids)).
2-Year-Olds (Toddlers)
At this age, your toddler is ready to solve problems (wood puzzles with 4 to 12 pieces, blocks that snap together, things with hooks,buttons, buckles, and snaps). Also get them things for pretending and building (blocks, construction sets, dress-up clothes, dolls with accessories).
Let them be artistic with large, non-toxic, washable crayons and markers, large paintbrushes and fingerpaint, large paper for drawing and painting, colored construction paper, and rhythm instruments. Also: picture books with more details; CD and DVD players with a variety of music (record players and cassette recorders are also good); large and small balls for kicking and throwing; low climbers with soft material underneath; and hammering toys.
3- to 6-Year-Olds
Kids in this age range will enjoy things for solving problems (blocks that snap together; collections and other smaller objects to sort; plastic bowls and lids; counting bears, small colored blocks) and things for pretending and building (blocks for building complex structures, transportation toys, construction sets, child-sized furniture, sand and water toys). Let them create with large and small crayons, markers, paintbrushes and fingerpaint, chalkboard and large and small chalk, and modeling clay. If your child has access to a computer, consider programs that are interactive and that children can understand.
Safety and Children’s Toys
Safe toys for young children will have no sharp parts or splinters and do not pinch. They will be shatter-proof, easily cleaned, and painted with nontoxic, lead-free paint.
Electric toys should have a label saying “UL Approved” (approved by the Underwriters Laboratories). When choosing toys for children under age 3, be sure there are no small parts or pieces that could become lodged in a child’s throat and cause suffocation.
Typical wear and tear can make a once-safe toy hazardous. Adults should check their children’s toys frequently to ensure they are in good condition. For a list of toys that have been recalled by manufacturers, visit the Consumer Product Safety Commission website.
The pediatricians at Pediatric Partners of Augusta are happy to help parents choose the right items for their children’s entertainment and development.