We played with them for years. Now we buy them for
our own kids, or those of our family and friends.
In fact, the average parents spends $300 per child
and
a whole lot spend much more on toys, toys, toys.
It's
part of our lives, it's a huge and booming market,
it's something we take for granted but seldom think
about. Like why do kids play with toys? What is
the true role of toys? How do toys really function in a kid's
life? Which are good and which aren't?
How do toys figure into normal, healthy
child
development?
At a time when parents are quite concerned about their
children's education and preparation for the future,
we're remarkably clueless about the very significant
and potentially negative role of toys. What's an educationally
appropriate toy for each stage of their development?
How do toys shape gender stereotypes? Do video games
teach our kid valuable skills or destroy their moral
character? How can we tell good toys from over-hyped
selections?
Based
on 14 years of independent consumer focused research,
Toy Tips provides invaluable advice and practical
information on indoor and outdoor toys, dolls, board
games, activity and construction toys, toys for appropriate
ages and stages, gender and multi-cultural toys, computer
games and other technology toys, toy safety, toy shopping,
toy collecting, and a the must have Toy Classics (Lincoln
Logs, Play-Doh, Candy Land, Slinky, Mr. Potato Head,
Barbie, and why they're still around).
Retailers:
Reviews:
“Invaluable and specific guidance about how the
right toys can help your kids learn, develop, build
skills, and have some fun.” --Michele Borba, consultant,
educator, and author, Parents Do Make a Difference,
Building Moral Intelligence, and No More Misbehavin'
“No one is better equipped than Marianne Szymanski
to help you make smart choices when purchasing toys
for your kids or for the kids in your life.”--Spencer
Christian, former host of Szymanski’s guest segments
on ABC’s Good Morning America, and author, Is
There a Dinosaur in Your Backyard? and many other children’s
books
“Szymanski’s years of experience and passion
for serving children make her a leading voice in the
developmental benefits of toys and play.”--From
the Foreward by Marvin W. Berkowitz.
