The variety of toys available now in stores and catalogs is overwhelming. How do you decide which toy is right for the special children in your life? One way to start is by remembering which toys captured your fancy when you were young.While toy fads come and go, some toys remain timeless classics. These are the toys that children play with over and over, long after this season's hot new toy is consigned to the bottom of the toy chest. What makes a toy a classic? The ability to engage a child's imagination and let his creativity power playtime.
The reference book "Understanding Children 0-3,"
a visual encyclopedia for parents, offers the following guidelines for choosing toys that will endure the test of time.
1. The toy should be age appropriate to match a child's developmental level.2. In order to survive the wear and tear of a child's repeated handling, it must be made of sturdy, reliable materials.
3. A child should be able to operate the toy by himself in order for him to enjoy it.
4. The toy should be one that the child will find interesting and fun to play with now and, ideally, as she grows and develops. Look for open-ended toys that a child can experiment with in many ways. A good example is Brio's Wooden Railway System, which you can expand and add to as your child gets older.
5. Toys should help children develop new skills and learn to think, create and imagine.
Choose toys that lend themselves to pretend play, role play, problem-solving and practicing skills. The perennially popular Erector Set is a case in point; children learn valuable lessons as they build machines that really work.
6. Toys that children play with together (or with an adult) teach valuable social skills like cooperation, sharing, negotiation and compromise.
Classic toys remain popular precisely because they meet all these criteria. But just because a toy is a classic doesn't mean it hasn't changed since you were young. Take for example Erector toys. The mention of the name probably conjures up vivid images in the minds of many adults of spending hours engrossed in building a motorized crane. Well, you can still buy the crane, but you can also buy a helicopter, a drag racer, a locomotive and more. There are Erector toys geared to kids as young as 3 years old, all the way up to the child in all of us.
From "Yoocans"
for 3 to 5 year olds to Erector's City line, which is geared for 4 to 8 year olds and up through Multi Models (ages 8 to 13) and the Crazy Inventors line, there is something for every age and ability level.
The Wooden Railway System,
first introduced in 1958, has become a classic in its own time.
With an endless variety of
layouts, these toys encourage kids to discover new possibilities. Quality craftsmanship is a hallmark of the genuine BRIO Wooden Railway System. Each track is made of sturdy beechwood that will endure years of play, and strong magnetic couplings and interlocking track pieces make it easy for even the youngest child to create and play. Track and accessories are compatible for infinite expansion of your railway as your child grows.
BRIO has introduced some of your child's favorite characters into the Railway mix, including Curious George and Bob the Builder.
The Pirate and Space themes allow kids as young as three years old to enjoy these engaging toys.
Erector Sets and BRIO Railway Systems are available in specialty toy, educational, hobby and museum stores, and through select catalogs and Internet sites. For a list of retailers, call BRIO toll free at (888) 274-6869 or visit the company's Web site at www.briotoy.com.
Courtesy of ARA Content
EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information, contact Robin Lehnert, public relations manager, at (888) 274-6869, Ext. 3506 or via e-mail at rlehnert@briotoy.com.
BRIO Corporation, based in Germantown, Wis., is the United States subsidiary of BRIO AB Sweden, the world's largest manufacturer of wooden toys. A number of its toys have won national and international awards for fun, quality, durability and safety.
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