How to choose an age-appropriate toy
You’ve got a birthday party coming up, and it’s the kind where they serve apple juice and pizza. Unless the parents have specified “no gifts”, you’ve got some shopping to do. Where do you start?
Let’s make this a little easier by starting with a basic question: How old is the kid? Age is important to consider because a child’s ability to enjoy a toy depends on their level of physical, cognitive and emotional development.
A simple example is that a typical 2-year-old won’t know what to do with a 100 piece puzzle (except eat it), while a 5-year-old might see a rattle toy and say “that’s a baby toy.” Avoid those words at all costs if you want to remain friends of the family.
Your goal is to select an age-appropriate or developmentally-appropriate toy, which means it’s fun and safe for your giftee at their current stage of development. As kids get older, rapidly expanding neural pathways, increased strength and motor control, and changes in emotional regulation affect how they play with objects around them. Fortunately for you, you can get a good idea of whether a kid is ready for a toy by looking at its packaging.
On any toy sold in the US, you’ll see that the package indicates a minimum age. Pay attention to the age label because it indicates what kind of safety testing was required for the toy by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission. Toys are often labeled “3+” because of small parts, which present a choking hazard to kids 2 and under, who really like to stick things in their mouths and noses.
Now that you’ve narrowed down your choices, it’s time to think of the parents. Bless their hearts. A second question to ask yourself is “will a parent have fun with this too?” Good toys allow adults and kids to play together. Kids learn from interacting from real, live people whose facial expressions, tone of voice, and other micro-movements reinforce a child’s actions.
When adults play with kids, kids build greater self-confidence and mastery of the skills that they’re practicing through play. Blocks, dress-up sets, instruments, and other toys that inspire creative play are fantastic ways to get both kids and adults involved.
