Toys and Games - Reviews and News

If you are still stuck on what to get your child/children this year then think about something that they can learn rather than something that will be used for a couple of days over the Christmas period.

Guitars are actually a great gift for a child that is wanting to learn how to play instrument and is actually prepared to try and learn. If you are after something for a kid that just wants a bit of a mess around on an instrument then I would reccommend you get one of those drum kits instead.

Although these are sometimes very expensive items, a lot of the time you can go around a nd pick up quite cheap items for the kids which is always good to do around this time of year. Kids will love recieving gifts like this for many reasons.

Size

Think about roughly how big a present like this will look underneath a Christmas tree. It looks pretty awesome thats for sure and a child will light up when they see just how big one of their presents looks.

Noise

Kids love making a racket when it comes to playing with their things and just think how much noise they can make when they are smashing those symbols on their drumkits or of course playing that guitar our of a loudspeaker. It is just something that kids love doing and you really do not want to deny them their fun, it would be a crime surely?

Conclusion

Of course something like this is going to set you back a bit of money but what with Christmas on it’s way next week and still no present in mind for your kid why not go after something they will really enjoy playing with over the course of the next year. Well at least for the next few weeks?

Is it just me or are toys not made the way they used to be. I remember when a toy would last you a good 10 years before anything would go wrong with it. You could drop your wooden toy car from the top of a multi-story car park and the most damage it would receive would be a few minor scratches to the paint work. Try dropping a modern toy car from any height at all and it pretty much atomizes. You spend weeks looking for all the bits and pieces that have cracked, smashed and fallen off.

There is an argument to say that toys these days are more technical, they do more stuff and therefore there are more parts to go wrong. I don’t buy this however as some of the more simple toys made these days like Barbie dolls are more fragile than Nicole Richie.

So why are these toys being made to a low standard? Well, as you might expect it comes down to money. Some of the better retailers only sell quality toys, but most are just interested in the bottom line and so have all their toys made in the Far East and using materials that you wouldn’t even want your bin liners to be made from.

The answer? If you’re buying for a girl, hunt around for the best gifts for her on trusted websites, where you know you’ll get quality. You can do the same for boys, but take into account that boys are more aggressive with their toys so they need to be made of tougher stuff.

Dolls houses that are intended for children are very different from those that are intended for adult dolls house enthusiasts.

Dolls houses for girls and boys are generally much simpler than those designed for the collector. They are often made from wood, sturdy and robust with no small, removable parts.

Dolls houses for adult enthusiasts can often have small, detailed decorative parts that could easily be broken off by a child. These clearly present a choke hazard making this type of dolls house completely unsuitable for children.

Dolls houses are fantastic learning toys for boys and girls. They encourage imaginative play and provide a way for children to interact with one another and with adults.

I  posted a question recently on “answer bank” and was really surprised at the response.

 

My question was “what do you reckon was the best toy you ever owned?”

 

First reply was “etch a sketch” I  too had one of those and got hours of fun out of it.

Next up was “Hungry Hippos” probably one game that most people have either owned or heard of.

 

Someone else said it was a yo yo and another “juggling balls” which kept them amused for hours.

 

Football was mentioned utilising Mums washing line to make  your own makeshift goalposts in the back garden. Also a boomerang.

 

Another real old favourite was lego which I suppose really took over from mecano.

 

For the girls there was of course “Sindy”, “My Little Ponies” and of course “Barbie Doll”.

 

The strange thing is if you notice out of all the replies there is only one game which requires more than one to play.

Wonder what that says about our childhoods or do we just  prefer our own company? Maybe we were simply just used to amusing ourselves better, thats my theory anyway!

 

I suppose when I look at all the different toys what strikes me most is the lack of computer games. It seems that the good old fashioned traditional toys are the ones that seem to stand the test of time and its those we remember best!

 

What do you think?

Many town and city centres are rapidly changing as an increasing number of people turn to the internet for their shopping. Traditional toy shops are one type of town centre outlets that appear to be dieing off.

When I was a lad I loved to go into our local town with my mum and dad just to gaze in amazement at the bewildering array of fantastic toys in the window of the town’s toy shop. If we were to go inside I can recall being so excited that I would nearly wet myself. How times have changed.

While there are still a few national chains with outlets in some cities and towns, the smaller, local, independent toy shops have all but died out. Replaced by out of town warehouse style outlets and, of course, the internet.

Shopping for toys online, whilst being immensely convenient and economical, lacks the magic that a visit to the local independent, traditional toy shop used to have. Children can’t really appreciate or even understand a toy until they have touched it and maybe taken it for a test-play. From a child’s perspective the internet can’t really compete.

What’s the answer? Well there isn’t one. While grown-ups seek convenience and economy, children miss out on the magical experience that a visit to their local toy shop used to be.

Who can remember having a pedal car as a child? I certainly can. It was one of my favourite playthings, right up until I was simply too big to fit into it any more.

Isn’t it funny how, in the age of the computer with flight simulators and sophisticated computer games, many of these old-school playthings are becoming popular once again. Many parents are moving away from the techno-toys, instead choosing more traditional playthings that they enjoyed as a child.

Pedal cars are one of those toys from days-gone-by that are becoming increasingly popular once again. They are a great enticement to get the children away from their computers and out of the house to engage in a little active, energetic pedalling.

If you are looking for something that is a little bit different for a toddler then a pedal car could be just the thing. And you don’t need to worry about rising fuel prices!

Where do you start with buying a learning toy for a child?

Are you the harassed Uncle or Auntie wondering what to buy a niece or nephew? Are you a puzzled Mum or Dad wondering what toy may connect with your child and develop them further?

Truth be told there are simply too many toys for parents to choose from and guess what the parents choice is typically narrowed by advertisers and peer pressure.

Look at every Christmas, there is typically a mad stampede for the en-vogue toy of choice, which inavriably ends-up in the obscure never-never land of the back of the wardrobe once the novelty wears off.

Another factor is are those buying presents actually that bothered whether a toy is going to have the right benefit for the child? My guess and experience is not, but you may disagree.

Do the likes of Argos, Woolworths and Toys R Us and the like actually give people the right choices? Or are mass marketed, mass produced, easy win, easy buy toys with attractive packaging co-ersing people into making an impulse purchase.

Have you ever tried asking a member of staff on whether a specific toy would be good for a childs reading, or writing or arithmitec skills? They haven’t a clue and subsequently a child is then in the hands of the gods.

Unfortunately this is endemic of society and the fast speedy world in which we live in which everything must be done at a pace. Thankfully there are a number of stores which do care about children and that do care about what toys they play with.

Traditional toys, wooden toys, retro toys, learning toys, educational toys call them what you like, they still have a place in homes up and down the UK, it is just a pity that so many people do not get to know about these stores.

I have purchased many of these ‘traditional toys’ but not from the big high street stores, I have always found the time to be purposeful about certain toy purchases. That is not to say that I do not enjoy a visit to Toys R Us? Of course I do, all that fun in one place. All I am saying is don’t expect to find toys that will make use of your child’s imagination and nurture their learning.

My favourite Toy Shops include Mulberry Bush Online Toy Shop which is great for Traditional Toys and Hamleys which is an absolute Aladdins cave!

In recent months there have been some highly publicised reports of toys being recalled due to safety concerns. How can parents and carers be certain that the toys they are providing for their little ones are actually safe?

The recent recall of certain Chinese manufactured toys has sparked fears amongst parents and carers regarding the safety of the toys provided for their children. But these toy recalls represent less than 1% of the toys sold in the UK. In fact, only about 1.5% of all accidents that occur in the home are actually toy related and toy defects are rarely cited as the cause of accident or injury. Most toy related accidents in the home are due to adults tripping over them!

But what can you do to ensure that the toys that you buy for your children are safe? Here are a few basic suggestions that will help you to choose safe toys:

Buy from a respected, reputable toy store: Shops like these will only be stocking toys that have undergone rigorous quality control and safety checks. Many of these toys will have been used and enjoyed safely by generations of happy children. Buying traditional, maybe wooden toys is often a very safe bet.

Look for toy safety markings: The Lion Mark can only be used by manufacturers who have signed up to the BHTA strict code of practice. The CE mark indicates that a toy conforms with the European Toy Safety Directive, but is not really a mark of safety. Age indicators provide you with guidance regarding the suitability of a toy to a particular age group.

Common sense: Inspect the toy yourself. Look out for small parts, sharp edges, flaky paint, poor quality manufacture etc. Don’t go buying rubbish from the market or a car boot sale.

Keep the play area clean and tidy: Not really related to purchasing safe toys but good advice if you want to minimise the risk of accidents.

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For top quality traditional wooden toys that have been enjoyed by generations of growing children visit the excellent Mulberry Bush Online Toy Store.

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Solutions Through Fun is an initiative started by the British Toy and Hobby Association (BTHA) as part of their ongoing campaign to highlight the value of play in child development. In the words of Oscar Wilde: ‘The best way to make children good is to make them happy’.

The BTHA have produced an immensely useful and informative booklet that is intended to provide parents and carers with help in improving the quality of the time that they spend with their children. Interestingly, all of the tips and suggestions in the booklet come from children themselves. (Download ‘Solutions Through Fun‘ PDF 982kb)

As noted in the booklet, in 1980 less than a third of mothers of young children worked whereas in 2004 around 55% of mothers of children aged between 1 and 5 were working. The amount of time that working parents can spare to spend playing with their children has fallen significantly and many parents and carers wish that they had more time to spare. The little time that is available is often eaten up by domestic chores, DIY and restng after a hard day at work.

The booklet provides some genuinely useful, practical ideas that can be used to make family life more fun. Even if you only have ten minutes to spare this valuable time can be put to good use in playing with your children by telling jokes, doing puzzles together, playing short games, reading together and even doing the housework!

Children learn a lot through playing with their parents or carers. Footballs, board games, puzzles and traditional childrens toys will all be familiar playthings that most parents will recall having played with when they were young. Sharing their experience with their youngsters can fulfill the childrens desire to interact and have fun together.

Children are learning even before they are born. Every event or experience they have is educational and this is why it is important for them to have access to play facilities and toys that will make a positive contribution to their ongoing learning. Play activities contribute towards a child’s educational development in many ways including:

• Psycho-motor skills development, hand to eye coordination, manipulation, dexterity.
• Language development
• Communication skills
• Cognitive skills (concentration, perception, memory and logical thinking)
• Creative thinking and problem solving
• Personality development

Todays toy shops are full of the latest whizzy electronic toys. Many are advertised as being educational but are really simply attention grabbing. Tests have shown that humans are predisposed to pay attention to rapidly changing events, loud and unusual sounds and the like. Many modern toys exploit these predispositions with loud, noise-making flashing toys that will grab the attention of any youngster but may actually provide limited educational value.

The right educational toys will be stimulating and fun to play with rather than simply being another form of entertainment. And the right educational toy for a baby is obviously a lot different to the educational toy that will stimulate a 10 year old.

Babys and infants need things to look at, to touch, to shake, rattle and roll. Varied colours, varied textures, varied sounds and varied behaviours will all provide immense enjoyment and stimulation to an infant and they will be learning whilst having fun. For example the Baby and Blankie is a beautifully made developmental toy for babies that won the Good Toy Guide Gold Award.

Toddlers in the 1 to 2 year age range are getting to grips with language and associations with the physical world. They like to stack things, build things up and then knock them down again. The baby walker is a well known traditional toy that is loved by toddlers taking their first wobbly steps. Equipped with a cargo of assorted bricks that allow the child to stack and build and knock down whilst encouraging creativity and achievement.

As they grow, toddlers begin to try and emulate the adults around them. They will enjoy dressing up, role play games and adopting personas such as a fireman, postman, nurse or doctor. They will also derive enjoyment from problem solving, puzzle games, building kits and fantasy play.

Many of us will remember having a toy castle when we were children. Building the castle encourages children’s language skills development and creativity as the child creates their own story, imagining their castle occupied by knights and princesses, fighting off dragons and invaders.

From a very early age children will enjoy creating things by drawing, painting, gluing and colouring in. As they grow their drive to create becomes increasingly sophisticated. They will want to have a go at all sorts of creative play, from painting pictures to building a volcano. Luckily there is no shortage of creativity toys from simple sets of crayons and colouring books to bead jewellery and flower gardens.

Don’t be deceived by the hype and advertising of modern, supposedly educational toys. Many have limited educational value and are actually entertainment devices that provide little stimulation or opportunities for learning. There are many traditional toys that make ideal, traditional gifts providing a valuable educational experience for growing children.

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