what makes a good toy?

Our toys are selected to be both entertaining and educational. We have trained "toyologists" in each store to help you select the right toy. Different toys are appropriate for different children.
The reasons for this are many and varied. The age of a child, their
maturity level and physical ability, as well as product safety, are just
some of the factors to consider when deciding what toy to buy.

What Makes a Good Toy?
How do we decide what makes a good toy.
In our view, a good toy should be:

• sturdy
• Age appropriate
• fun while teaching and helping the child grow

Toys That Soothe
From the earliest age, children find security in many of their toys.
Who among us has not had a favorite stuffed animal or blanket.
Toys that help foster a sense of security include:

• stuffed animals
• dolls
• music toys that play popular nursery rhymes and lullabies

Toys That Stimulate
When looking for toys that will stimulate a young child, consider:

• building blocks and stacking toys
• large-piece puzzles
• pop-up books
• ankle and wrist rattles
• sorting toys, like square-peg, round-peg

Imaginative toys
Toys should help a child develop their imagination and creativity. They should transport the child to the wonderful world of "make-believe", a world where children can be themselves. Toys which stimulate the imagination include:

• arts and crafts
• play figures, like Playmobil
• building and alphabet blocks
• toy cars and trucks

Toys That Aid in a Child's Development
Helping a child develop more specialized skills can be accomplished by pairing specific toys and activities with a particular skill set. The following is a brief overview of six specific skills and some of the toys that can aid in their development.

• Social Skills

• dollhouses
• card games
• toy telephones
• tea party sets and toy kitchens

• Motor Skills & Gross Motor Skills:

• riding toys
• balls
• sports toys

• Fine Motor Skills:

• building blocks and stacking toys

• Counting, Number and Strategy Skills

• building blocks
• card and board games

• Music Skills

• whistles and rattles
• toy pianos, guitars, etc.
• sing-along toys that play popular nursery rhymes and lullabies
• tambourines, maracas, drums

• Science Skills

• microscopes and telescopes
• chemistry kits
• rock and mineral sets
• ;toy building and construction sets

• Reading and Writing Skills

• pop-up books
• alphabet blocks
• magnetic letters
• pencils, crayons and coloring books