The Best Toys for Your Child
Here are some guidelines for choosing toys that encourage healthy play. Look for toys that:
Can be used in a variety of ways
Promote creativity and problem solving by letting your child decide what to do
Can be enjoyed at different ages and developmental stages, growing with the child
Will continue to be fun and engaging over time
Can be used in combination with other toys for more complex play
Promote respectful, nonstereotyped, and nonviolent interactions among children
Add a new dimension to play beyond your child's current toys
Avoid toys that:
Can only be used in one way
Make children use the toy exclusively in a way defined by the toy's designer
Appeal primarily to a single age or developmental stage
Your child will become bored with after a half hour
Channel children into imitating scripts they see on TV or on movie screens
Do special high-tech actions for the child instead of encouraging the child's own exploration and mastery
Lure children into watching television or other media that is linked to the toy
Encourage violence and stereotypes that can lead to disrespectful and aggressive interactions
Adapted with permission from the T.R.U.C.E. Toy Action Guide (Teachers Resisting Unhealthy Children's Entertainment), P.O. Box 441261, West Somerville, MA 02144.
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