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 child’s 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 child’s current skills and challenges those they need to work on.
Toy
Tips is the premiere independent toy-testing group
in the United States. Celebrating 12 years of research,
Toy Tips studies have been published in professional
research journals and is the rating agency for the
“TTT” mark. (Toy Tips tested and trusted)
This mark is of honor and excellence is awarded only
to those products that show significant developmental
value to children. Based on research with over 500
testing sites in the United States, Canada and England,
our advisory team is comprised of a team of psychologists,
teachers, occupational therapists and research analysts
who facilitate the methods of testing.
Toy Tips receives a significant amount of publicity
and reaches 10 million mothers per year due to promotional
efforts with our partners and through our own website
and national publicity recognition. (See toytips.com
for detail).
Our reviews are also written for consumer guide.net
and other parenting publications in the U.S. and U.K.
Toy Tips has a semi-monthly segment on FOX Morning
News in Milwauke. Results of our research and product
reviews are highlighted. Toy Tips does not rank toys
or provide awards nor do we decide what will be the
hottest toy of the season. Our information is strictly
the results of studies at The Toy Research Institute
How is Toy Tips research used?
The results of the annual test are shared with consumers
via toytips.com and Toy Tips & Parenting Hints to provide objective
information about toys and their benefits to children
of different ages and skill levels. These results
assist consumers in making appropriate toy purchases
based on developmental research.
1. The research is conducted through The Toy Research
Institute and focuses on the intellectual, social,
physical, and individual character and personality
development of the child.
2. Our Toy Tips advisory team is comprised of psychologists,
teachers, occupational therapists, and research analysts
who assist in these methods of study. Psychologists
evaluate and analyze the results of our testing with
children. No results are based on individual opinions.
3. A consistent methodology is used to provide results
based on qualitative and quantitative studies, applying
empirical methods and constraints typically used in
social science research.
5. Toys are tested by invitation only and not all
toys are selected. Toy Tips looks for toys to test
that are pro-social, educational and developmentally
stimulating.
INFORMATION REQUIRED:
CERTIFICATE OF INSURANCE:
(only for products applicable to children that need
to be tested by children. No need to send if your
product is intended for an adult)
It is the policy of Toy Tips, Inc. for any company
that submits an application must attach a 2002 CERTIFICATE
of INSURANCE naming TOY TIPS, Inc. as an additional
insured. (This is of no charge to the company) Because
Toy Tips relies on testing with children, our testing
schools will not accept any product to be used by
children unless this certificate is provided to them.
Usually, your insurance agent mails this directly
to us. Please have them mail it to you and fax it
with your application to us.
PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
(For Each product submitted:
JPEG photo 220h x 200w of the product only (no people)
and a decription. Please email this to toytesting@toytips.com.
This should be sent the same day the application is
faxed.
Please understand that the application phase determines
which products will be accepted for testing. Three
(3) product samples are required to conduct our research.
You will be contacted when/where to send your products
if your application has been accepted. All samples
are used and not-returned. If they are damaged or
are not used for any reason, they are donated to The
Toy Research Institute for children in need. Thank
you for your interest in continuing the research of
products that develop children’s skills.
Thank you for your interest in focusing on developmental
toys that make children’s minds stronger and
their childhood happier!
