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Toy Tips works for the consumer! On this site, you'll find researched product reviews, articles and tips to stimulate the intellectual, social, physical and individual personality development of the child.

FAQ

I keep seeing award stickers on toy packages. If I buy a toy that has an award sticker on the box does that mean other similar toys are not as good? What guidelines can I follow for choosing a good toy?

Lauren, Miami, FL
Mom of Rachel (7), Sofi (6) and Naomi (2)

Use them as a guide and follow 3 easy steps before making a decision on what to buy?

1.Analyze: What does the child have already? (Stacks of board games, tubs of building blocks, shelves of books) Take a quick INVENTORY of your childs collection and see if there is a type of toy missing from the playroom. A new kind of toy will trigger interest and intrigue once opened!
2.Simplify- Parents think kids need a lot of toys, then regret having so many around the house! It is best to have a variety of TOY TYPES, so a child uses a range of developmental skills.
3.Magnify: It is imperative that toys are chosen which are age-appropriate and are of interest to a child. Choose toys that "MAGNIFY a childs current skills and challenges those they need to work on.

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Toy Tips & Parenting Hints Past Issues

Toy Tips & Parenting Hints is a free quarterly online newsletter based on the results of our ongoing research on toys, juvenile gear, family videos, software and products for parents and families.

To review previous Kid Tips issues, please click on one of the following:

December 2005 Issue

Summer 2004 Issue

Holiday 2003 Issue

Back to School 2003 Issue

Summer 2003 Issue

Spring 2003 Issue


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Toy Tips to Parents: Time to Unplug

Don't over stuff the toy box with tech toys. When is technology too much technology?

While tech toys are popular and some can be educational, the latest round of newcomers at Toy Fair makes it clear we're going too far into technology assisted play. It seems technology now permeates almost every kind of toy category on the toy shelves. Parents run the risk of stocking the playroom with items that undermine the important developmental aspects of childhood play.

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